NEW HORIZONS PROBE This probe is a good example of how vague and unclearly defin
ID: 109843 • Letter: N
Question
NEW HORIZONS PROBE
This probe is a good example of how vague and unclearly defined standards can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. As the launch for this probe, on 19 January 2006, approached it was heralded as the fastest spacecraft ever and was to exceed all pervious speed records. This is not completely true. The space vehicles, Helios – launched in 1970s, currently hold the record for the fastest traveling man-made object traveling at speeds of 250,000 km/h (150,000 mph). However, the news reports were not completely wrong as the New Horizons probe does hold
a speed record. The escape velocity, of the probe when leaving Earth orbit, was 57,600 km/h (35,800 mph). This was faster than any other object to date. Pervious holders of this title were the Ulysses probe (55,400 km/h) and the Pioneer 10 (52,100 km/h). On New Horizons final approach to Jupiter the spacecraft’s speed was about 23 km/s (51,000 mph). The flyby to Jupiter increased the speed by nearly 4 kilometers per second (9,000 mph). As New Horizons completes its mission at Pluto and is sent out to become the fifth (5th) interstellar spacecraft (to leave the solar system) it does have a chance to beat out Voyage 1 for the title of fastest interstellar spacecraft. Voyager 1 exited our solar system at a rate of 62,100 km/h (38,600 mph). New Horizons will not reach Pluto to perform its primary mission until sometime in the year 2015 and it will be after this when Mission controllers will need to decide what trajectory the probe will take to exit the solar system. The probe will reduce its speed to around 50,370 km/h when it reaches Pluto and given the size and mass of objects that far out in the solar system it is not expected that the probe will get a boost to restore its speed before exiting the solar System.
Given this information and the facts about these probes, do you see why and how the misunderstanding about the New Horizons probe happened? Why do you think some think the New Horizons probe was the fastest object in space? Do you feel that this probe matches the intended meaning of those that made these claims or do you think it still falls short, why? Below are other probes that hold records. Some of these have suffered from the same incorrect labeling as the Helios and New Horizons crafts.
Class Record Setter Speed Date Set
Fastest Orbital
Speed (also Fastest Manmade Object)
Helios 2
in orbit around the
Sun
~ 150,000 mph
(241,350 km/h)
17 April 1976
Fastest Atmospheric Entry
Galileo
during terminal dive into Jupiter
108,000 mph
(173,770 km/h)
21 September
2003
Fastest
Planetary Flyby
Pioneer 11 during closest approach to Jupiter
107,500 mph
(173,000 km/h)
2 December
1974
Fastest Solar Escape Velocity (or Fastest Interstellar Speed)
Voyager 1
38,600 mph
(62,100 km/h)
circa 1981 to present
Fastest Earth
Escape Velocity
New Horizons
35,800 mph
(57,600 km/h)
19 January
2006
Fastest Earth Atmospheric Entry
Stardust Sample Return Capsule
29,000 mph
(46,660 km/h)
15 January
2006
Answer the questions in the final paragraph with your own complete paragraphs in the spaces below. Use your own words and be as thorough and complete as you need to be to properly and completely answer the questions
Fastest Solar Escape Velocity (or Fastest Interstellar Speed)
Voyager 1
38,600 mph
(62,100 km/h)
circa 1981 to present
Fastest Earth
Escape Velocity
New Horizons
35,800 mph
(57,600 km/h)
19 January
2006
Fastest Earth Atmospheric Entry
Stardust Sample Return Capsule
29,000 mph
(46,660 km/h)
15 January
2006
Explanation / Answer
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