I just browsed the MRO and Stardust websites. Looking at their respective "Where is <spacecraft name> now?" pages, I notice that both are currently midway between Earth and Mars.

I'm thinking that having one of them photograph the other is pure crazy talk. But it did beg the question of how close will they pass each other? Anyone know?

Thanks,

Kelly

I'm sure that if someone has Celestia and all the right things installed, they could tell us.

Doug

Someone has mention this just a while ago, forgot who.

Anyways the camera and distance would of made the encounter distance not worth while.

I think someone mentioned (well, me actually ) Stardust observing Mars during the distant flyby it will make, but THAT was written off.

Distance between MRO and Stardust would be interesting though. Obviously FAR too far for imaging, but perhaps an interesting DSN issue

Doug

MRO reaches the 1/2 way point. Nothing special, just a note to while away the time as we wait.

Doug McCuistion said at the COMPLEX meeting that he had "never seen a space mission go as smoothly post-launch as MRO has." The only problem so far is some noise in one of the HiRISE camera's 10 channels, which disappeared when it warmed up to normal temperature.

He did say that the launch itself scared the hell out of him, for the simple reason that the Atlas 5 takes an incredible 13 seconds just to clear the tower. So at least I'm prepared when I go down to see the New Horizons launch. (If it starts going back DOWN, I'll start worrying.)

Well, the New Horizons Atlas V 551 will virtually jump off the pad with it's five solids. It won't need 13 seconds to clear the tower.

Analyst

And therefore doomed forever to become stock footage!

Please do not tempt the gods by even giving words to this possibility. A mission to the Kuiper belt should not be lost in the "T plus second" stage!

And as for going to the launch....

"Analyst" is right -- I hadn't thought about the strap-on boosters.

Your question sounds interesting so I did some calculation with my "magic number" script at JPL Horizons, and:

The minimum distance between Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Stardust was 21831915 kilometers at 2005-11-08 11:27:06 UTC.

(instantaneous distance without light-time correction)

btw, my MRO/Mars magic number page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Mars_Rec...biter#Countdown

This will be the fastest Atlas in history, whereas the MRO vehicle (Atlas 5 401) is the slowest they've launched yet.

Expect NH to fly off similar to a Delta 2 launch and clear the lightning towers in about 4 seconds.

Cool! Thanks for checking on it. Visually, it looked like they would pass closer. Then, I remember that the two crafts are in differently inclined orbits about the sun!

Thanks,

Kelly

Bad acronym time, MRO's Atlas was a gentle under-arm lob. NH's Atlas is a full out fast overarm fling

Doug