550 likes | 695 Views
Exploration of New Worlds: The Cassini / Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan. David H. Atkinson Dept of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Idaho 7 April 2005. Cassini/Huygens. HST. Voyager 1. Cassini/Huygens Ready for launch. KSC, Cape Canaveral: 15 Oct 1997.
E N D
Exploration of New Worlds: The Cassini / Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan David H. Atkinson Dept of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Idaho 7 April 2005
14 January 2005 7 years, 3 months and 4 billion km from launch
Huygens Descent on Titan From Atmospheric Entry To Touchdown on Surface 147 minutes
lifting Titan’s veil Yet do thy cheeks look red as Titan’s face W. Shakespeare
DISR: first images DISR: first images drainage canals; fluvial activity Shoreline dry lakebed Methane Ground Fog
DISR: side-looking imager h: 8 km res: 20 m
DISR: 360 Panorama ground fog h: 8 km; resolution: 20 m Wind drift velocity: 1-2 m/s landing site
SSP: Impact on Surface ‘wet sand or clay’ (crème brûlée)
DISR: on the surface ‘orange tint from reflectance spectra’ 5 cm 85 cm ‘dirty water ice, not hydrocarbon ice’
If it was easy, then it wouldn’t be worth doing or someone would have done it already. D. Atkinson ( i.e., “Nothing is perfect….”)
Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment Goal – To measure the east-west winds in the Atmosphere of Titan from 140 km to the surface
Earth Radio Telescope Antennas as seen from Titan: 14 Jan 2005
Green Bank Radio Telescope, WV (100 meter) Parkes Radio Telescope, Australia (64 meter)
Upcoming Encounters Upcoming Encounters