I know there is no up or down in space, but is there nothing of interest in directions away from our poles (north,south)? It seems that all our space probes head out away from the equator, so to speak.
2006-06-13 10:10:54 · 17 answers · asked by bcuz1998 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Actually we have sent one probe "Down" as it were. Voyager 2, on it's last slingshot headed "Down" below the ecliptic. Which is why only Canberra can track it and not Goldstone or Madrid. (I work at Goldstone that's the only reason I know this.)
Yes, we're still talking to it. Also Ulysses is in a solar polar orbit taking it out of the ecliptic as well. So we DO go "up and down" when we want to.
2006-06-13 18:52:55 · answer #1 · answered by Gozer the Carpathian 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
All the planets within our solar system orbit along pretty much the same plane around the sun. If we sent a space probe up and out of this plane, there would not nearly be as many interesting things to study (for quite a large distance at least) than if we were to send it by some planets on the way out of our solar system.
Also, by sending probes by planets as they leave the solar system, we can "steal" some of the planets momentum and increase the speed of the probe without the added cost of extra fuel, so not only is it more interesting to take pit stop by Jupiter, it also helps up get where we are going much faster.
2006-06-13 17:14:56 · answer #2 · answered by mrjeffy321 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Space probes are usually sent to study planets and other bodies in our solar system. We don't currently have the technology to do anything useful by sending probes away from the poles. It would take hundreds or thousands of light years to get anywhere worth studying. Our solar system exists on a flat plain, so everything of interest is approximately parallel to our equator.
2006-06-13 17:33:43 · answer #3 · answered by habaceeba 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, you know the north and south poles of the earth are "up" and "down". And so basically if you look at a universe map, you see Mars and Co. are all sort of horizontal. What's the point of sending a probe to any planet but in our own solar system, unless they wanted to test for organic life in Orion (cough cough) or something?
2006-06-13 17:35:20 · answer #4 · answered by MELISSA H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With the slow speed of our space craft, and the incredible distances to even the nearest objects, sending a probe off of the solar ecliptic is pointless. As we don't know much about our own solar system we might as well start there.
2006-06-13 17:15:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Up and down are in reference to gravity and the Earth's atmosphere. Once the object leaves the Earth's atmosphere (gravitational influence) there is no up and down in space. So scientists refer to objects in space as in and out, to and away. (A space probe travels to Juniper and away from the Earth.)
2006-06-13 18:26:12 · answer #6 · answered by sf_rowguy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's because all of the interesting stuff in our solar system lies near our own equator -- which is near the plane of the ecliptic, in which all of the orbits of the other planets lie.
Straight up or down (along earth's polar axis) takes you out of the plane of our solar system -- there isn't anything interesting in our solar system there, and it's a long, long way to the nearest star...
2006-06-13 17:14:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
By going along the plane of the solar system, we can use the other planets to "boost" the probe along by using their gravity wells to add speed, which saves fuel. We also get to see the planets and their moons on close-ups on the fly-bys.
2006-06-13 17:15:46 · answer #8 · answered by PuterPrsn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
'up' is a relative term, based from our POV. When we see a craft take flight, we say that it goes up, only because we have a sense of being ground and distinct areas of the environment (ground, sky, sea)
But in space, there is no real sense of direction, so terms are basically 'here' and 'there.' In space, our only definition of location is based from another "stationary" point (from our POV). So we say that, from that POV, the object is going 'away' from us.
FYI: from the probe's POV, it remains stationary and the Earth is going 'away' from it!
2006-06-13 17:16:55 · answer #9 · answered by Tarvold 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probes are lauched close to the equater because they have less atomsphere to go through it the process. its a geometry problem. once it gets free of earth then they can direct it from there to any other angle with the rockets on it.
2006-06-13 17:14:55 · answer #10 · answered by theirishunicorn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋