Talk:Pioneer anomaly/Archive 2016

Did the power booms fold or extend out after launch?

Drawings such as File:Pioneer 10 systems diagram.svg consistently show the two booms with the radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) extending out well beyond the edge of the edge of the main antenna dish. File:Pioneer 10 on its kickmotor.jpg is a photograph that shows an RTG tucked in underneath the dish. File:Pioneer 10 Construction.jpg is another photograph that shows both seem to be RTG tucked in underneath the dish though that photo may have perspective and foreshortening issues. I'm wondering if the drawings are wrong or if the RTG booms were extended after launch. The Pioneer anomaly article does not address this issue though I recall years ago reading that while the RTG tend to radiate heat equally in all directions that they were close enough to the spacecraft body and its dish that some of the radiated heat bounced off the back of the dish and this bounce was the reason the heat distribution from the spacecraft was anisotropic. If that's the case then I suspect we could add a picture showing how the infrared radiation tends to radiate in the forward direction (relative to its direction of travel as the dish is pointed towards Earth). --Marc Kupper|talk 06:55, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

The RTGs were extended on long booms after launch, partially because there was worry about the effects of radiation on the main electronics. By the time of Cassini this was known not to be a problem and the RTGs were kept close. This made the RTG effect much larger on Cassini since a much larger portion of the IR radiation was intercepted by the spacecraft. LouScheffer (talk) 13:25, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

Do we have a much more accurate accepted value for "big G", the gravitational constant, as a result of this effort? The NIST parameters for G have it so uncertain, that the anomaly would be insignificant in comparison to the uncertainty of G. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.110.42.191 (talk) 04:19, 31 August 2016 (UTC)

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Pioneer Anomaly Ubiquity

I read that the "Pioneer Anomaly" also affected other deep space probes (of differing design) which refutes the supposition that "basically everyone agrees with" the current explanation. Therefore, and it follows that, the current solution is in fact, not a full solution. I read a lot and fast with comprehension. 69.144.44.245 (talk) 23:18, 28 November 2016 (UTC)