Miscellaneous Debris > Chit-Chat

Questions triggered by the just launched Europa Clipper

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DaleReid:
Watching the launch (I still get excited after all these years), the commentators were relaying info on how the launch was going and I wondered:
 -How do they get info back down, especially since in the atmosphere all they have is the launch vehicle, no real parabolic antennas and so on.  Any radio experts here who may know or worked on them?

 -How do they know the thrust and so on?  Are there strain gauges in the engine attachments?  Accelerometers which are integrating the performance numbers? Is radar tracking good enough to tell how fast it is going for this delicate orbital insertion?

Curious minds want to know!

Oh, the rocket was in parking orbit and still we were getting crystal clear images of the engine and the earth behind it.  How did that imagery get sent back?  Is there communication through some of the orbiting relay satellites?  No stations were long that path unless they had stationed some ships out there for just his purpose.

Lots of fascinating stuff behind the big story.
Dale

92merc:
I believe that was launched on a SpaceX Falcon heavy.  SpaceX launches use their own Starlink network.

I'm not sure exactly how Starlink works, but those antennas aren't very big. 

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