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02:21
https://botsin.space/@hannorein/111720784552439634
"Our new paper is on the #arXiv / @OJ_Astro today! We derive a new timestepping criterion for #Nbody simulations with adaptive integrators such as IAS15. We show that our new criterion always resolves all physical timescales in Keplerian orbits, regardless of eccentricity. It's also much less likely to be affected by finite floating point precision which previously often led to slow or stalled simulations. The new criterion is now the default for IAS15 in REBOUND.
 
2 hours later…
04:07
unrelated, I really want MAGGIE to turn out to be a thing. a solar-electric eVTOL on Mars? mm mmmmm nasa.gov/general/…
04:47
Vulcan with a successful inaugural launch but unfortunate payload anomalies
Still hoping for a successful landing by SLIM from Japan on the 19th
And also hopefully the Intuitive Machine's Nova-C lander goes well in February
Been a lot of issues with lunar landers recently ....
05:33
Sorry, could you explain the advantages of MAGGIE? Spy satellites replaced spy airplanes in the 1970s. Why in 2030 would you go back to the spy airplane (on Mars)? What has changed?
05:54
I know a bunch of people at Intuitive Machines
I love all those people, but do not love the company. I am incredibly surprised they shipped anything
 
8 hours later…
14:12
Spy planes were deprecated because no matter how high (U2) or how fast (SR-71) they flew, eventually missiles were developed that could reach them. Mars is (currently) not shooting back.

Low level reconnaissance flights are really helpful, when compared to even the highest res satellite view. Even as satellite views get better and better.
 
4 hours later…
18:20
@geoffc - "Low level reconnaissance flights are really helpful" - I agree. But I think inexpensive weather balloons could do the job. Required logistics for this airplane would be a magnitude bigger than for the current Mars rovers.
 
2 hours later…
20:38
@TheMatrixEquation-balance Fair enough.
 
3 hours later…
23:29
@geoffc to hell with recon, it's an eVTOL. It'll be bigger than Ingenuity so likely less flexible in where it can land, but still be able to go and see things up-close all over if it's instrumented to do so
maybe don't put drills on it because if you let the geologists have at it then it'll land and never take off again, but something like the laser spectrometer deal...what was that called again
ChemCam!
fly around irresponsibly lasering Mars and getting science in the process. Sounds great

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