How will June’s 5th Planets Parade Influence Space Mission Design?

By: Premana W. Premadi

SINCE Last April, astronomers turned their attention to the eastern sky just before sunrise. They saw the planets alternately lined up from the eastern horizon toward the zenith, an imaginary point in the sky perpendicular above the earth to the horizon.

One of those seen in June was a rare occurrence: the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in alternating rows. The next opportunity to see these five planets appear together is predicted to happen again in 2040.

The planetary parade is a special celestial sight. This is possible because the planets in the Solar System revolve around the Sun in orbits that are nearly in the same plane.

Two photos of configurations of bright planets on the morning before sunrise on June 23 and 24, 2022 pic.twitter.com/qmrkiZbdKt

— Bosscha Observatory (@obsbosscha) June 23, 2022

When viewed from Earth, when the positions of these planets are connected by lines (projections) it looks like they form a straight line.

Also read: Parallel Planet Phenomenon June 24, Jupiter and Venus the Brightest

The author still remembers that when the positions of the Earth, the Sun, and several planets were almost in line on May 5, 2000, the Bosscha Observatory of the Bandung Institute of Technology received many questions about the impact of this phenomenon. Some are concerned about possible catastrophe on Earth due to the increasing force of gravity.

Although they appear to be in line, these planets are actually very far from each other to influence each other. However, theoretically there is a gravitational influence that we can take advantage of in spacecraft missions.

Efficiency tactics for spacecraft

Since the early era of the development of space science and technology in the 1960s, the biggest and frequently asked question has been how far an unmanned spacecraft (spacecraft) can go to explore space.

One of the obstacles in this type of aircraft is how to meet the energy needs to run the vehicle. The strategy for increasing mission coverage is to choose the most cost-effective trajectory, in addition to efficiencies in the rocket’s combustion system (engine) and construction of the spacecraft itself.

Given the enormous distances between the planets, in the 1950s and 1960s many experts were pessimistic that spacecraft could reach planets further than Mars.

To move away from the Sun’s strong gravitational pull, with rocket designs that existed in the 1960s, would take 30-40 years to reach Neptune.

The hope of exploring distant areas of the Solar System came to life through the ideas of aerospace engineer Gary Flandro who then, in the 1960s, worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory – a NASA facility, USA.

Also read: The Parallel Planet Phenomenon Happened Again on June 25, 2022, What’s the Difference?

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