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Space Exploration

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    $\begingroup$ Thanks, but have you calculated how big the other 1% is in Joules? "That should be enough" seems to be an opinion. Can you find something quantitative you can link to? $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Sep 8, 2016 at 4:36
  • $\begingroup$ Agreed, it is an opinion. The issue is really dependent on the type of insulation used to hold the samples. I may delete the answer as insufficient $\endgroup$
    – ViennaCodex
    Commented Sep 8, 2016 at 6:46
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    $\begingroup$ You could also say something like "OK I'll see what more I can find out" no need to delete. The heat shield interacts with the atmosphere, and together they might get rid of 99% of the kinetic energy. If that thing weights 10kg for example, then the 1% is still 7.7 MegaJoules. The heat shield and the plasma in contact with it (and radiating back to it) are going to be really really hot for say 100 sec. I think the interesting thing is the sample is within centimeters of something almost white hot - how does it stay cool, and how cool does it actually stay? It must be amazing insulation! $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Sep 8, 2016 at 7:19
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    $\begingroup$ The rest should be in the parachute mostly. $\endgroup$
    – PearsonArtPhoto ♦
    Commented Sep 8, 2016 at 12:01
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    $\begingroup$ @Andy one does not "get rid" of energy. The heat shield's interaction with the atmosphere transfers most of the initial kinetic energy of the shuttle to kinetic energy of the gas molecules (in the form of heat (and also some ionization)) but it doesn't just 'go away; some of that is transferred right back to the capsule through contact and through radiation. Even 0.1% transferred would be enough to modify the sample and reduce its usefulness. There's a lot of science in these two sentences! $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Sep 11, 2016 at 1:59