Those hip Europeans. They make the sleekest cars, and now they’ve taken that chic design sense into space with the Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), perhaps the most badass satellite to ever ply the cosmos. This shiny space ornament is set to blast into orbit on September 10th, and will be using its Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer to measure the earth’s gravitational fields. Its main mission is to figure out the speed and direction of ocean currents, and along the way maybe even determine when the next big volcano is going to blow.
Powered by an electric motor charged up with solar panels, it will get its readings of Earth’s gravitational field by flying in a relatively low 167-mile-high orbit. Because there’s still some wispy remnants of the earth’s atmosphere at that altitude, this baby has those streamlined fins like a ’57 Chevy to fly straight and true. This snazzy bird is sure to be the envy of all the other satellites, not to mention that clunky-looking International Space Station.
European Space Agency, via AstroEngine
editor@dvice.com
By GT at 8:27 AM ON 08/27/08
You might want to clarify what keeps the satellite afloat. Every manmade object gets is working power via solar panels so that is not really news worthy. But if the satellite was being kept in its orbit by an elctric motor, now that would be interesting indeed. Sadly they are using just some ion thrusters to keep it aloft....
By Flow at 12:01 PM ON 08/27/08
Sweet rendering.
By raymondjram at 6:47 AM ON 08/28/08
An ion thruster is technically an electric motor because it uses electricity (electrical energy) to generate thrust which causes motion, just as a rocket motor uses chemical energy to generate thrust and cause motion. What GT might be thinking of as a conventional "electric motor" is correctly called an electromagnetic motor, which used electrical energy to created a magnetic field to create torque and cause motion. So the author of the article has correctly express the engine as an electric motor. There is nothing sadly here, just the use of a different kind of thrust.
By fuzzysock at 12:42 PM ON 08/28/08
Actually, GT, not all manmade space objects are solar. Some of the exploration satellites going to the outer reaches of the solar system use nuclear batteries instead of solar panels.
By Anonymous at 9:29 PM ON 08/28/08
Ahh good catch Fuzzy thanks for bringing that up.
Raymond, there is a difference between electric motor and electric propulsion. Motors use electric energy o create mechanical energy. Propulsive devices fall under engines. And if you want to be very technical calling an ion thruster an electric motor (or just calling it an ion thruster) is incorrect. They come in two basic brands electrostatic ion thrusters or electromagnetic ion thrusters. I'm sure you would want to call plasma thruster "electric motors" too.
Too bad you didn't pick up on my sarcasm .... I thought ion thrusters more newsworthy (and frankly more descriptive) then electric motor.
By Anonymous at 9:47 PM ON 08/28/08
Raymond i needed to clarify my above post b/c it was not specific enough...
Electric motors use electric energy to create mechanical energy and sometimes kinetic energy. Propulsive devices fall under engines that use fuel (conventional term of fuel, electricity not being a fuel in this case but the ions are) to produce kinetic energy.
By coolnerd11 at 3:36 PM ON 08/30/08
its pretty cool, and i agree with gt, id like to know some more about it