[DeTomaso] NPC: space radiation and the interplanetary sports car fate

[cengles at cox.net]

Dear Terry and Larry,


                Thank you very much for your replies.

                Larry-- Egad, I forgot about the warranty coverage! 
You're right.

                Terry--I would be eager to hear your "Wheels on Mars" 
presentation at the Fun Rally.


                          Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles


PS:  If the Tesla crashed into Ceres and landed in Cerian ice, then 
could it rust?????




On Thu, Feb 8, 2018 at 10:58 AM, Himes, Terry (397C) wrote:

> Ha!  Chuck is baiting me. He knows I’ll take it.  ;-)
>
> First, I’m a computer science major and a spacecraft system engineer. 
> So…
>
> But with no oxygen there is probably no rust.  But radiation will 
> eventually breakdown the metal structure, causing it to become brittle 
> and fracture. Ionization. But it’s not quick.  Electronics are more 
> susceptible to
> this, which is why we must fly RAD-hardened electronics, avionics and 
> science instruments. Humans, going beyond our magnetosphere (1m miles 
> out) will be susceptible to intense radiation, as it will breakdown 
> human DNA and cause rapid cancer.  Which is why Elon is NOT signing up 
> for his trip to Mars!   Smart. ;-)
>
> On another note, we calculated the trajectory of the spaceship Tesla, 
> and it might come close to the dwarf planet Ceres, where our Dawn 
> spacecraft is now. We don’t want anything impacting Ceres until
> we can send a lander there and investigate Occator crater and that 
> white stuff. Ceres has LOTS of water!!
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJiw2NxqoBU&t=2s
>
> My current Mission Manager:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBiUWI1EesE
>
> Rover Status – Wheels On Mars:
> A presentation I’ve always wanted to give to POCA. We are closely 
> monitoring wheel damage. These wheels
> were milled from blocks of solid aluminum, but are super thin. This 
> was done to reduce mass, to escape the gravity well we call Earth. 
> But the pointy lava rock on the way up Mt Sharp has done some major 
> damage.
>
> We are now building Mars2020, here at JPL. It’s the next rover. A test 
> rover has been running around our Mars Yard for weeks now. The new 
> Flight Software (FSW) is learning how to drive more autonomously.
> Ok. Gotta get back to work.
>
> ciao4now
>
> Terry
>
>
>
>
> "A Purple Heart proves you were smart enough to hatch a plan,
>  stupid enough to try it and lucky enough to survive!"
>  Terry W. Himes JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory
> Dawn Spacecraft Team
> Rosetta Sequence Team Lead
> Phone: (818) 393-6261
> Cell:     (818) 653-8213
> thimes at jpl.nasa.gov
>
>
> On 2/8/18, 7:32 AM, "DeTomaso on behalf of cengles at cox.net" 
> <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com on behalf of 
> cengles at cox.net> wrote:
>
>         Dear Forum,
>                      I am hoping for Terry Himes comment about the 
> news item     regarding the interplanetary Tesla sports car headed 
> toward the asteroid     belt.  The new item says that, "scientists 
> believe that radiation will     tear the car into pieces within a 
> year."
>                      Can this be true?   Radiation tearing a car into 
> pieces     just like comic book stories??
>                      Can this be 21st century sports car equivalent 
> of.....rust????
>                                  Curious,  Chuck Engles