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From Earth to Mars: How is Nozomi's gravitational boost achieved?
In the history of space exploration, the launch and mission planning of various detectors have demonstrated mankind's curiosity and pursuit of the universe. Although Japan's Nozomi probe failed to complete its intended mission to Mars, its trek through the universe demonstrated the ingenious use of gravity boost technology and is worthy of in-depth discussion.
Announcement of plan and departure
Nozomi, which means "hope", was successfully launched on July 4, 1998, with the goal of becoming a probe for studying the atmosphere of Mars. The mission was developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of the University of Tokyo and used advanced space technology at the time.
The purpose of Nozomi is to explore the interaction of Mars' upper atmosphere with the solar wind and pave the way for the development of technologies for future planetary missions.
Ingenious design using gravity to assist
After launch, Nozomi entered an elliptical Earth orbit maintained at 340 kilometers to 400,000 kilometers. To increase its chances of contact with Mars, Nozomi used the moon's gravity to perform two gravitational boosts. This technology uses the gravity of a celestial body to increase the speed of the probe and change its orbit without consuming expensive propellant.
The help of the moon’s gravity
Nozomi's first lunar gravity boost was conducted in September 1998, and it has since conducted another to further raise its orbit in preparation for subsequent Earth gravity boosts.
The importance of Earth’s gravity boost
Finally, Nozomi performed a critical gravity boost on December 20, 1998. This process not only allowed it to enter an escape orbit towards Mars, but was also assisted by a propulsion system that was supposed to lay the foundation for its successful arrival at Mars.
Encountering challenges and task adjustments
However, the turning point of fate came. During the Earth's gravity boost process, Nozomi was unable to successfully reach Mars orbit as originally planned due to a valve failure that resulted in the loss of fuel. This forced the mission team to re-make plans and postpone the original Mars exploration plan to 2003 and 2004.
Unexpected event blow
In April 2002, Nozomi approached the Earth again, but unfortunately encountered a strong solar flare. This event damaged the detector's communication and power systems. Subsequent efforts allowed Nozomi to successfully perform a gravity boost from Earth, but more technical problems arose during subsequent orbit adjustments.
The final Mars flyby and ending
Although the mission ultimately failed to enter Mars orbit as expected, Nozomi completed a flyby of Mars on December 14, 2003, a process that still has scientific value, making it a voyager that maintains a heliocentric orbit. Although Nozomi failed to complete its scientific mission, its existence and technology shed new light on future Mars exploration missions.
Reflection and looking forward to the future
After Nozomi's mission ended, although it faced difficulties, its contribution to gravity boost technology is still worthy of recognition. This technology allows a spacecraft to accelerate and adjust its trajectory without using too much fuel, which is critical for future deep space exploration missions.
Looking forward to future scientific exploration, how will new missions use these known technologies to overcome unknown challenges?
