'Miracle': Europe reconnects with lost spacecraft

(phys.org)

42 points | by vrganj 2 hours ago

3 comments

  • tetris11 23 minutes ago
    > Proba-3, works just like a real solar eclipse. One spacecraft, which is roughly circular when viewed from the front, orbits closer to the sun, and its job is to block the bright parts of the sun, acting as the moon would in a real eclipse. It casts a shadow on a second probe that has a camera capable of photographing the resulting artificial eclipse.

    > Having two separate spacecraft flying independently but in such a way that one casts a shadow on the other is a challenging task. But future missions depend on scientists figuring out how to make this precision choreography technology work, and so Proba-3 is a test.

    Oh wow, they've potentially rescued this (very cool!) mission for both probes

  • touwer 1 hour ago
    I'm glad that this site at least left ~10% of the screen on my phone to read the article, next to all banners and newsletter ads. It's not 5%, great!
    • iamkonstantin 15 minutes ago
      There is also the original ESA post with a lot less ads and correctly implemented opt out from analytics https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Techn...
    • Timwi 34 minutes ago
      I'm genuinely curious: I'm sure you know about the existence of ad blockers. They're not exactly new technology. I'm sure you also know that everyone here knows about ad blockers. So I'm genuinely wondering: what does it do for you to complain about the ads here? Especially in a way that some will no doubt take as you never having heard of ad blockers?
    • messe 1 hour ago
      Use U-Block origin. At this point I consider it a necessity for accessibility. I find it impossible to read anything with animated or video adverts. I truly cannot focus on the text. It's user-hostile, ableist, and content producers that continue using them can go fuck themselves. I have no ethical qualms about depriving them of revenue.
      • Timwi 37 minutes ago
        Question: does it actually deprive them of revenue even if I was never going to click on an ad anyway?
        • varjag 24 minutes ago
          The ads delivery ecosystem billing is generally structured around impressions not click through rate (which depends a lot on the nature of the ad). So yes it does.
  • graemep 55 minutes ago
    The European Space Agency, not 'Europe'. Just as annoying as calling the EU Europe, and calling both Europe despite different membership is just confusing.
    • anonymars 46 minutes ago
      Is metonymy really so unreasonable in this title?
      • Timwi 32 minutes ago
        You have it exactly right. I read the title the way it was intended and I think the complaint was pedantic.
      • donohoe 38 minutes ago
        “North America puts man on the moon”

        Yes. Yes it is.

        • anonymars 35 minutes ago
          Now let's evaluate "America puts man on moon"
          • embedding-shape 34 minutes ago
            Didn't think it was possible, but yes, you made it even worse.
            • anonymars 19 minutes ago
              A good title is brief and clear.

              "'Miracle': European Space Agency reconnects with lost spacecraft" is long.

              "'Miracle': ESA reconnects with lost spacecraft" is opaque.

              The first four words of the article are, "The European Space Agency..."

    • vrganj 17 minutes ago
      "America landed on the moon" vs "NASA landed on the moon".