This is an artist's concept of Cassini during the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) maneuver, just after the main engine has begun firing.

Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. The spacecraft consists of two main elements: the Cassini orbiter, named after the Italian-French astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini, and the Huygens probe, named after the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. It was launched on October 15, 1997 and entered Saturn's orbit on July 1, 2004. On December 25, 2004 the probe separated from the orbiter at approximately 02:00 UTC, with deployment confirmed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The probe reached Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005, where it made an atmospheric descent to the surface and relayed scientific information. It is the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn and just the fourth spacecraft to visit Saturn. Original Caption Released with Image: This is an artists concept of Cassini during the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) maneuver, just after the main engine has begun firing. ... Original Caption Released with Image: This is an artists concept of Cassini during the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) maneuver, just after the main engine has begun firing. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This article is about the European Space Agency. ... Categories: Stub | Italy | Space agencies ... Unmanned space missions are those using remote-controlled spacecraft. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... The Saturnian System (photographic montage) Saturn Rings and Satellites. ... Ariane 5 lifts off with the Rosetta probe on 2nd of March, 2004. ... Giovanni Domenico (Jean-Dominique) Cassini Giovanni Domenico Cassini (June 8, 1625 - September 14, 1712) was an Italian-French astronomer and engineer. ... An artists impression of the Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ... Christiaan Huygens Christiaan Huygens (pronounced in English ( IPA): ; in Dutch: ) ( April 14, 1629– July 8, 1695), was a Dutch mathematician and physicist; born in The Hague as the son of Constantijn Huygens. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. ... For other meanings of the term orbit, see orbit (disambiguation) In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ... This page is about the moon of Saturn. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Overview

Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT (8:43 UTC) on October 15, 1997 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Cassini's principal objectives are to: Download high resolution version (700x1049, 90 KB)Title: Launch of Cassini Orbiter & Huygens Probe Full Description: A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. ... Download high resolution version (700x1049, 90 KB)Title: Launch of Cassini Orbiter & Huygens Probe Full Description: A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. ...

1. Determine the three-dimensional structure and dynamic behavior of the rings
2. Determine the composition of the satellite surfaces and the geological history of each object
3. Determine the nature and origin of the dark material on Iapetus's leading hemisphere
4. Measure the three-dimensional structure and dynamic behavior of the magnetosphere
5. Study the dynamic behavior of Saturn's atmosphere at cloud level
6. Study the time variability of Titan's clouds and hazes
7. Characterize Titan's surface on a regional scale

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 40 using a U.S. Air Force Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle. The launch vehicle was made up of a two-stage Titan IV booster rocket, two strap-on solid rocket motors, the Centaur upper stage, and a payload enclosure, or fairing. The complete Cassini flight system was composed of the launch vehicle and the spacecraft. A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ... For other uses, please see Satellite (disambiguation) A satellite is an object that orbits another object (known as its primary). ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Iapetus (YA pe tuss or eye AP e tuss) is the third-largest moon of Saturn (see: Saturns natural satellites), discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object, in which phenomena are dominated by its magnetic field. ... Atmosphere is the general name for a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass. ... This article is about clouds in meteorology. ... This page is about the moon of Saturn. ... Haze is an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other pollutant particles obscure the normal clarity of the sky. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. ... The Bumper V-2 was the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The Titan IV family (including the IVA and IVB) of space boosters are used by the US Air Force. ... The Centaur is an upper stage rocket designed for use on satellite launch vehicles, boosting the satellite into its final orbit or, in the case of interplanetary probes, to escape velocity. ... A booster in space-related applications is usually a solid rocket booster: a solid fuel rocket of which two or more are attached to the main rocket to provide the main thrust in the initial phase of the rockets flight. ... A rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by the reaction to the ejection of fast moving exhaust from within a rocket engine. ...

The spacecraft is composed of the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe. The Cassini orbiter is planned to orbit Saturn and its moons for four years, and the plan sees the Huygens probe dive into the atmosphere of Titan and land on its surface. Cassini-Huygens is an international collaboration between three space agencies. Seventeen nations contributed to building the spacecraft. The Cassini orbiter was built and managed by NASA/CalTech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Huygens probe was built by the European Space Agency. The Italian Space Agency provided Cassini's high-gain communication antenna, and a revolutionary compact and light-weight multimode radar (synthetic aperture radar, radar altimeter, radiometer). An orbiter is a spacecraft that orbits a planet or moon without landing on it in order to study the objects surface from a safe distance. ... The California Institute of Technology (commonly known as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ... This article is about the European Space Agency. ... Categories: Stub | Italy | Space agencies ... Communication is the process of exchanging information usually via a common system of symbols. ... In biology, antenna (plural: antennae) refers to the sensing organs of several arthropods. ...

The total cost of the Cassini-Huygens mission is about US$3.26 billion, including $1.4 billion for pre-launch development, $704 million for mission operations, $54 million for tracking and $422 million for the launch vehicle. The U.S. contributed $2.6 billion, the European Space Agency $500 million and the Italian Space Agency $160 million. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The word billion, and its equivalents in other languages, refer to one of two different numbers. ... One million (1000000), one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999999 and preceding 1000001. ...

A list of Cassini-Huygens abbreviations is available. Below are abbreviations commonly used in conjunction with the Cassini_Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. ...

Spacecraft design

The spacecraft was originally planned to be the second three-axis stabilized, RTG-powered Mariner Mark II, a class of spacecraft developed for missions beyond the orbit of Mars. Cassini was being developed together with the Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) spacecraft, but various budget cuts and rescopings of the project forced NASA to terminate CRAF development in order to save Cassini. As a result, the Cassini spacecraft became a more specialized design, cancelling the implementation of the Mariner Mark II series. A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is a simple electrical generator which obtains its power from radioactive decay. ... Mariner Mark II was NASAs planned family of unmanned spacecraft for the exploration of the outer solar system that were to be developed and operated by JPL between 1990 thru the year 2010. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Conceptual artwork of the CRAF spacecraft The Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) was a cancelled plan for a NASA led exploratory mission designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that planned to send a spacecraft to encounter an asteroid, and then to...

The Cassini spacecraft, including the orbiter and the Huygens probe, is the largest, heaviest, and most complex interplanetary spacecraft built to date. The orbiter alone has a mass of 2150 kilograms. When the 350-kilogram Huygens probe, launch vehicle adapter, and 3132 kilograms of propellants were loaded at launch, the spacecraft had a mass of about 5600 kilograms. Only the two Phobos spacecraft sent to Mars by the Soviet Union were heavier. The Cassini spacecraft stood more than 6.8 metres (22.3 feet) high, and was more than 4 metres (13.1 feet) wide. The complexity of the spacecraft is necessitated both by its trajectory, or flight path, to Saturn, and by the ambitious program of scientific observations to be undertaken once the spacecraft reaches its destination. It functions with 1,630 interconnected circuits, 22,000 wire connections, and over 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) of cabling. The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The Phobos program was an unmanned space mission consisting of two probes launched by the Soviet Union to study Mars and its moons Phobos and Deimos. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Soviet Union - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... In ordinary language, a trajectory is the path followed by a body moving through space, for instance, the path taken by a falling body or the orbit of a planet. ... There are many kinds of circuit An electric circuit interconnects electrical elements. ...

When Cassini is at Saturn, it will be between 8.2 and 10.2 astronomical units from Earth. Because of this, it will take 68 to 84 minutes for signals to travel from Earth to the spacecraft, and vice versa. In practical terms, this means that ground controllers will not be able to give "real-time" instructions to the spacecraft, either for day-to-day operations or in cases of unexpected in-flight events. Even if controllers respond immediately after becoming aware of a problem, nearly three hours will have passed before they receive a response from the spacecraft. The astronomical unit (AU or au or a. ... Earth, also known as the Earth or Terra, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... A minute is: a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... An operation within a larger dynamic system is called a real-time operation if the combined reaction- and operation-time of a task is shorter than the maximum delay that is allowed, in view of circumstances outside the operation. ... The hour was originally defined in Egypt as 1/24 of a day, based on their duo-decimal numbering system (which counted finger joints on each hand). ...

Instrumentation

Cassini's instrumentation consists of: a synthetic aperture RADAR mapper, a CCD imaging system, a visible/infrared mapping spectrometer, a composite infrared spectrometer, a cosmic dust analyzer, a radio and plasma wave experiment, a plasma spectrometer, an ultraviolet imaging spectrograph, a magnetospheric imaging instrument, a magnetometer, an ion/neutral mass spectrometer. Telemetry from the communications antenna as well as other special transmitters (an S-band transmitter and a dual-frequency K_a-band system) will also be used to make observations of the atmospheres of Titan and Saturn and to measure the gravity fields of the planet and its satellites. M*A*S*H, see Corporal Walter (Radar) OReilly. ... A charge-coupled device (CCD) is sensor for recording images, consisting of an integrated circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors. ... Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than visible light, but shorter than microwave radiation. ... For Acoustic uses in spectrographs of sound waves, see below. ... Radio transmission diagram and electromagnetic waves Radio is a technology that allows the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of light. ... The word plasma has a Greek root which means to be formed or molded (the word plastic shares this root). ... Note: Ultraviolet is also the name of a 1998 UK television miniseries about vampires. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object, in which phenomena are dominated by its magnetic field. ... A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength of magnetic fields. ... ion (disambiguation) An ion is an atom or group of atoms with a net electric charge. ... Mass spectrometry is a technique for separating ions by their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios. ... A yagi antenna Most simply, an antenna is an electronic component designed to send or receive radio waves. ... The S band, or 10-cm radar short-band, is the part of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging roughly from 1. ... The Ka band (kurz-above band) is a portion of the K band of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum. ... This article covers the physics of gravitation. ...

Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) 

The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) is a direct sensing instrument that measures the energy and electrical charge of particles such as electrons and protons that the instrument encounters. CAPS will measure the molecules originating from Saturn's ionosphere and also determine the configuration of Saturn's magnetic field. CAPS will also investigate plasma in these areas as well as the solar wind within Saturn's magnetosphere. [1] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-caps.cfm)

Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) 

The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) is a direct sensing instrument that measures the size, speed, and direction of tiny dust grains near Saturn. Some of these particles are orbiting Saturn, while others may come from other solar systems. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer onboard the Cassini orbiter is ultimately designed to help discover more about these mysterious particles, and significantly add to the knowledge of the materials in other celestial bodies and potentially more about the origins of the universe. [2] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-cda.cfm)

Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) 

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) is a remote sensing instrument that measures the infrared light coming from an object (such as an atmosphere or moon surface) to learn more about its temperature and what it's made of. Throughout the Cassini-Huygens mission, CIRS will measure infrared emissions from atmospheres, rings and surfaces in the vast Saturn system to determine their composition, temperatures and thermal properties. It will map the atmosphere of Saturn in three dimensions to determine temperature and pressure profiles with altitude, gas composition, and the distribution of aerosols and clouds. This instrument will also measure thermal characteristics and the composition of satellite surfaces and rings. [3] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-cirs.cfm)

Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) 

The Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) is a direct sensing instrument that analyzes charged particles (like protons and heavier ions) and neutral particles (like atoms) near Titan and Saturn to learn more about their atmospheres. INMS is intended also to measure the positive ion and neutral environments of Saturn's icy satellites and rings. [4] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-inms.cfm)

Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) 

The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) is a remote sensing instrument that captures images in visible light, and some in infrared and ultraviolet light. The ISS has a camera that can take a broad, wide-angle picture and a camera that can record small areas in fine detail. Scientists anticipate that Cassini scientists will be able to use ISS to return hundreds of thousands of images of Saturn and its rings and moons. ISS includes two cameras; a Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and a Narrow Angle Camera (NAC). Each uses a sensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) as its detector. Each CCD consists of a 1,024 square array of pixels, 12 μm on a side. The camera's system allows for many data collection modes, including on-chip data compression. Both cameras are fitted with spectral filters that rotate on a wheel—to view different bands within the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from 0.2 to 1.1 μm. [5] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-iss.cfm)

Dual Technique Magnetometer (MAG) 

The Dual Technique Magnetometer (MAG) is a direct sensing instrument that measures the strength and direction of the magnetic field around Saturn. The magnetic fields are generated partly by the intensely hot molten core at Saturn's center. Measuring the magnetic field is one of the ways to probe the core, even though it is far too hot and deep to actually visit. MAG's goals are to develop a three-dimensional model of Saturn's magnetosphere, as well as determine the magnetic state of Titan and its atmosphere, and the icy satellites and their role in the magnetosphere of Saturn. [6] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-mag.cfm)

Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) 

The Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) is both a direct and remote sensing instrument that produces images and other data about the particles trapped in Saturn's huge magnetic field, or magnetosphere. This information will be used to study the overall configuration and dynamics of the magnetosphere and its interactions with the solar wind, Saturn's atmosphere, Titan, rings, and icy satellites. [7] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-mimi.cfm)

Radio Detection and Ranging Instrument (RADAR) 

The Radio Detection and Ranging Instrument (RADAR) is a remote active and remote passive sensing instrument that will produce maps of Titan's surface and measures the height of surface objects (like mountains and canyons) by bouncing radio signals off of Titan's surface and timing their return. Radio waves can penetrate the thick veil of haze surrounding Titan. In addition to bouncing radio waves, the RADAR instrument will listen for radio waves that Saturn or its moons may be producing. [8] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-radar.cfm)

Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument (RPWS) 

The Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument (RPWS) is a direct and remote sensing instrument that receives and measures the radio signals coming from Saturn, including the radio waves given off by the interaction of the solar wind with Saturn and Titan. The major functions of the RPWS are to measure the electric and magnetic wave fields in the interplanetary medium and planetary magnetospheres. The instrument will also determine the electron density and temperature near Titan and in some regions of Saturn's magnetosphere. RPWS studies the configuration of Saturn's magnetic field and its relationship to Saturn Kilometric Radiation (SKR), as well as monitoring and mapping Saturn's ionosphere, plasma, and lightning from Saturn's (and possibly Titan's) atmosphere. [9] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-rpws.cfm)

Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) 

The Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) is a remote sensing instrument that uses radio antennas on Earth to observe the way radio signals from the spacecraft change as they are sent through objects, such as Titan's atmosphere or Saturn's rings, or even behind the sun. The RSS also studies the compositions, pressures and temperatures of atmospheres and ionospheres, radial structure and particle size distribution within rings, body and system masses and gravitational waves. The instrument uses the spacecraft X-band communication link as well as S-band downlink and K_a-band uplink and downlink. [10] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-rss.cfm)

Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) 

The Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) is a remote sensing instrument that captures images of the ultraviolet light reflected off an object, such as the clouds of Saturn and/or its rings, to learn more about their structure and composition. Designed to measure ultraviolet light over wavelengths from 55.8 to 190 nm, this instrument is also a valuable tool to help determine the composition, distribution, aerosol particle content and temperatures of their atmospheres. This sensitive instrument is different from other types of spectrometers because it can take both spectral and spatial readings. It is particularly adept at determining the composition of gases. Spatial observations take a wide-by-narrow view, only one pixel tall and 60 pixels across. The spectral dimension is 1,024 pixels per spatial pixel. Additionally, it is capable of taking so many images that it can create movies to show the ways in which this material is moved around by other forces. [11] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-uvis.cfm)

Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) 

The Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) is a remote sensing instrument that is actually made up of two cameras in one: one is used to measure visible wavelengths, the other infrared. VIMS captures images using visible and infrared light to learn more about the composition of moon surfaces, the rings, and the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan. VIMS also observes the sunlight and starlight that passes through the rings to learn more about ring structure. VIMS is designed to measure reflected and emitted radiation from atmospheres, rings and surfaces over wavelengths from 0.35 to 5.1 mm. It will also help determine the compositions, temperatures and structures of these objects. With VIMS, scientists also plan to perform long-term studies of cloud movement and morphology in the Saturn system, to determine the planet's weather patterns. [12] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/instruments-cassini-vims.cfm)

The word plasma has a Greek root which means to be formed or molded (the word plastic shares this root). ... A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer), symbol µm, is an SI unit of length. ... M*A*S*H, see Corporal Walter (Radar) OReilly. ...

Plutonium power source and controversy

Because of Saturn's distance from the Sun, solar arrays were not feasible power sources for the spacecraft. To generate enough power, such arrays would have been too large and heavy. Thus, the Cassini orbiter gets its power from three radioisotope thermoelectric generators or RTGs, which use heat from the natural decay of plutonium (in the form of plutonium dioxide) to generate direct current electricity. These RTGs are of the same design as those which flew on the Galileo and Ulysses spacecraft and are designed to have a long operational lifetime. At the end of the 11-year Cassini mission, they will still be capable of producing at least 628 watts of power. The Sun (occasionally referred to as Sol) is the star at the centre of our solar system. ... A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is a semiconductor device consisting of a large-area p-n junction diode, which, in the presence of sunlight is capable of generating usable electrical energy. ... A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is a simple electrical generator which obtains its power from radioactive decay. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Plutonium, Pu, 94 Chemical series Actinides Period, Block 7 , f Density, Hardness 19816 kg/m3, no data Appearance silvery white metal Atomic properties Atomic weight 244. ... Galileo being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Ulysses spacecraft Ulysses is an unmanned probe designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. ... The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit for power. ...

Cassini's use of plutonium — 32.8 kg, at the time the most ever launched into space — attracted significant protest from environmental groups, physicists, and some former NASA staff. NASA made several statements about the safety of the mission, all of which intended to mean the mission was acceptably safe: the chances of radioactive release during the first 3 1/2 minutes after launch were 1 in 1,400; the chances of a release later in the rocket's climb into orbit were 1 in 476; the chances of the craft falling to earth later into the mission were less than 1 in a million; a worst-case scenario would mean 120 humans could die from Cassini-caused cancer over 50 years. These figures were derided as wild guesses by commentators that included the theoretical physicist Professor Michio Kaku, who suggested 200,000 would die if the plutonium canisters survived reentry and crashed in a heavily populated area. When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ... Michio Kaku (加來 紀雄) is a Japanese American theoretical physicist known for his popular accounts of string field theory. ...

To gain momentum for the voyage to Saturn, Cassini's trajectory included several gravitational slingshot maneuvers: two passes of Venus, one past the Earth, then one past Jupiter. The Earth fly-by, which occurred successfully on August 18, 1999, was the final point at which Cassini posed any danger to humans. Had it suffered a malfunction that caused it to impact, it was estimated by NASA's Cassini final environmental impact study [13]  (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/safety-eis.cfm) that a significant fraction of the plutonium contents of the RTGs would have been dispersed into Earth's atmosphere. A small number of activists continued to protest after the maneuver. Counter-demonstrators from the National Space Society carried signs reading CASSINI IS GO. In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot is the use of the motion of a planet to alter the path and speed of an interplanetary spacecraft. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9321. ... Earth, also known as the Earth or Terra, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The National Space Society (NSS) is an international space advocacy non-profit organization. ...

The Huygens probe

An artist's impression of the Huygens probe as it descends through Titan's atmosphere. Titan's sky may well be darker and smoggier than this painting suggests and Saturn never actually rises above the horizon at the probe's landing site.

See Huygens probe for the main article about this lander Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ... Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ... An artists impression of the Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ...

The Huygens probe, supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) and named after the Dutch 17th century astronomer Christiaan Huygens, scrutinized the clouds, atmosphere, and surface of Saturn's moon Titan in its descent on 15 January 2005. It was designed to enter and brake in Titan's atmosphere and parachute a fully instrumented robotic laboratory down to the surface. The Huygens probe system consisted of the probe itself, which descended to Titan, and the probe support equipment (PSE) on Cassini, which remained attached to the orbiting spacecraft. The PSE includes the electronics necessary to track the probe, to recover the data gathered during its descent, and to process and deliver the data to the orbiter, from which it was transmitted or "downlinked" to Earth. The Probe Data Relay Subsystem (PDRS) for the radio link between Huygens and Cassini to transmit the scientific data collected during the descent on Titan, and the Command Data Management Subsystem (CDMS), that will automatically manage the entire mission of the probe that cannot be telecommanded because of the distance from Earth, were provided by ASI. This article is about the European Space Agency. ... Christiaan Huygens Christiaan Huygens (pronounced in English ( IPA): ; in Dutch: ) ( April 14, 1629– July 8, 1695), was a Dutch mathematician and physicist; born in The Hague as the son of Constantijn Huygens. ... This page is about the moon of Saturn. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Important events and discoveries

Timeline

A chronology of the mission can be found under Cassini-Huygens timeline. Following is a discussion of the more notable events and discoveries. This page lists a chronology of events which have occurred or are expected to occur during the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. ...

Jupiter flyby

Jupiter flyby picture

Cassini made its closest approach to Jupiter on December 30, 2000, and performed many scientific measurements. About 26 thousand images were taken of Jupiter during the course of the months-long flyby. The most detailed global color portrait of Jupiter ever was produced (see image at right), in which the smallest visible features are approximately 60 km (37 miles) across. Download high resolution version (1920x2400, 294 KB)Jupiter as seen by the space probe Cassini. This is the most detailed global color portrait of Jupiter ever assembled. ... Download high resolution version (1920x2400, 294 KB)Jupiter as seen by the space probe Cassini. This is the most detailed global color portrait of Jupiter ever assembled. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A major finding of the Jupiter flyby, announced [14] (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases-03/20030306-pr-a.cfm) on March 6, 2003, was of the nature of Jupiter's atmospheric circulation. Dark "belts" alternate with light "zones" in the atmosphere. Scientists had long considered the zones, with their pale clouds, to be areas of upwelling air, partly because many clouds on Earth form where air is rising. Analysis of Cassini imagery, however, told a new story. Individual storm cells of upwelling bright-white clouds, too small to see from Earth, pop up almost without exception in the dark belts. According to Anthony Del Genio of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, "We have a clear picture emerging that the belts must be the areas of net-rising atmospheric motion on Jupiter, with the implication that the net motion in the zones has to be sinking." March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), at Columbia University in New York City, is a division of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Sciences Directorate and a unit of the Columbia University Earth Institute. ...

Other atmospheric observations made included a swirling dark oval of high-atmosphere haze, about the size of the Great Red Spot, near Jupiter's north pole. Infrared imagery revealed aspects of circulation near the poles, with bands of globe-encircling winds, with adjacent bands moving in opposite directions. The Great Red Spot as seen from Voyager 1 The Great Red Spot is an anticyclonic (high-pressure) storm on the planet Jupiter, 22° south of the equator; which has lasted at least 300 years. ...

The same announcement also discussed the nature of Jupiter's rings. Light scattering by particle in the rings revealed the particles were irregularly shaped (as opposed to being spherical) and likely originate as ejecta from micrometeorite impacts on Jupiter's moons, probably Metis and Adrastea. A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Metis (pronounced MEE tis) is the innermost member of the Amalthea group of Jupiters small inner moons. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Adrastea (a DRAS tee a) is the second of Jupiters known moons (counting outward from the planet). ...

Test of Einstein's theory of general relativity

On October 10, 2003, the Cassini science team announced the results of a test of Einstein's theory of general relativity, using radio signals from the Cassini probe. The researchers observed a frequency shift in the radio waves to and from the spacecraft, as those signals traveled close to the Sun. According to the theory of general relativity, a massive object like the Sun causes space-time to curve, and a beam of radio waves (or light) that passes by the Sun has to travel further because of the curvature. The extra distance that the radio waves travel from Cassini past the Sun to the Earth delays their arrival; the amount of the delay provides a sensitive test of the predictions of Einstein's theory. Although deviations from general relativity are expected in some cosmological models, none were found in this experiment. Past tests were in agreement with the theoretical predictions with an accuracy of one part in one thousand. The Cassini experiment improved this to about 20 parts in a million, with the data still supporting Einstein's theory. October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... For other topics related to Einstein see Einstein (disambiguation). ... General relativity (GR) or general relativity theory (GRT) is the theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915. ... Sine waves of various frequencies; the lower waves have higher frequencies than those above. ... The Sun (occasionally referred to as Sol) is the star at the centre of our solar system. ...

Missing spokes

A new, high-resolution picture of Saturn taken by Cassini on February 9, 2004 was publicly released a few weeks later. Mission scientists were puzzled by the fact that no "spokes" in Saturn's ring were visible. These dark structures in the "B" section of the ring had been discovered in pictures taken by the Voyager probe in 1981. (See JPL Press Release Image (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05380)) February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Voyager is also the name of a planned series of unmanned probes to Mars, cancelled in 1968. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

New moons of Saturn

Using images taken by Cassini, two new moons of Saturn were discovered in June, 2004. They are both very small and were given the provisional names S/2004 S 1 and S/2004 S 2 before being named Methone and Pallene at the end of 2004. Methone (provisional name S/2004 S 1) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Pallene (provisional designation S/2004 S 2) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ...

Image of Phoebe

Phoebe flyby

On June 11, 2004, Cassini flew by the moon Phoebe. This was the first opportunity for close-up studies of this moon since the Voyager 2 flyby. It also was Cassini's only possible flyby for Phoebe due to the mechanics of the available orbits around Saturn. June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other meanings see Phoebe. ...

First close up images were received on June 12, and mission scientists immediately realized that the surface of Phoebe looks different from other asteroids visited by spacecraft. Parts of the heavily cratered surfaces look very bright in those pictures, and it is currently believed that a large amount of water ice exists under its immediate surface. June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ...

Saturn rotation

In an announcement on June 28, Cassini scientists described the measurement of the rotational period of Saturn. Since there are no fixed features on the surface that can be used to obtain this period, the repetition of radio emissions was used. These new data agree with the latest values measured from Earth, and constitute a puzzle to the scientists. It turns out that the radio rotational period has changed since it was first measured in 1980 by Voyager, and that it is now 6 minutes longer. This doesn't indicate a change in the overall spin of the planet, but is thought to be due to movement of the source of the radio emissions to a different latitude, at which the rotation rate is different. This article is in need of attention. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

Orbiting Saturn

On July 1, 2004, the spacecraft flew through a gap in the thin outermost area of Saturn's rings and achieved orbit, after a seven year voyage. It is the first spacecraft to ever orbit Saturn. The Saturn Orbital Insertion (SOI) maneuver performed by Cassini was notably complex, requiring the craft to orient its High-Gain Antenna away from Earth and along its flight path, in order to shield its instruments from particles in Saturn's rings. Once the craft crossed the ring plane, it then had to rotate again so that its engine was pointed along its flight path, and then the engine fired to decelerate the craft and allow Saturn to capture it. Cassini was captured by Saturn's gravity at around 8:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time on June 30. During the maneuver Cassini passed within 20,000 km (13,000 miles) of Saturn's cloud tops. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... For other meanings of the term orbit, see orbit (disambiguation) In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. ... Time Zone is also a historical computer game. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ...

Titan flybys

Titan's surface

Cassini had its first distant flyby of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, on July 2, 2004, only a day after orbit insertion, when it approached to within 339,000 kilometers (211,000 miles) of Titan and provided the best look at the moon's surface to date. Images taken through special filters (able to see through the moon's global haze) showed south polar clouds thought to be composed of methane and surface features with widely differing brightness. On October 27, 2004 the spacecraft executed the first of the 45 planned close flybys of Titan when it flew a mere 1,200 kilometers above the moon. Almost four gigabits of data were collected and transmitted to Earth, including the first radar images of the moon's haze-enshrouded surface. Radar imagery observed no conclusive evidence of lakes of liquid hydrocarbons, though it did not dismiss the possibility such lakes could exist. It also revealed the surface of Titan (at least the area covered by radar) to be relatively flat, with topography reaching no more than about 50 meters in altitude. The flyby provided a remarkable increase in imaging resolution over previous coverage. Images with up to 100 times higher resolution were taken and are typical of resolutions planned for subsequent Titan flybys. Download high resolution version (1000x1000, 99 KB) A mosaic of nine processed images recently acquired during Cassinis first very close flyby of Saturns moon Titan on October 26, 2004, constitutes the most detailed full-disc view of the mysterious moon. ... Download high resolution version (1000x1000, 99 KB) A mosaic of nine processed images recently acquired during Cassinis first very close flyby of Saturns moon Titan on October 26, 2004, constitutes the most detailed full-disc view of the mysterious moon. ... This page is about the moon of Saturn. ... Saturn may refer to: Saturn (planet) – the sixth planet from the Sun Saturn (detachment) - the Russian Ministry of Justice special forces unit Saturn (Roman god) – in Roman mythology, the first of the Titans Saturn (CPU) – the CPU in certain Hewlett-Packard programmable calculators, Saturn automobile – a brand of automobile Saturn... This page is about the moon of Saturn. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The simplest hydrocarbon, methane, is a gas with a chemical formula of CH4. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... M*A*S*H, see Corporal Walter (Radar) OReilly. ... In chemistry, a hydrocarbon is a cleaning solution consisting only of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). ...

Huygens encounter with Titan

Cassini released the Huygens probe on 25 December 2004, by means of a spring. It entered the atmosphere of Titan on January 14, 2005. For more information on the landing, see Huygens probe. December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An artists impression of the Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ...

Enceladus flybys

During the first two close flybys of the moon Enceladus in 2005, Cassini discovered a "deflection" in the local magnetic field that is characteristic for the existence of a thin but significant atmosphere. Other measurements obtained at that time point to ionized water vapor as being its main constituent. Atmosphere none Enceladus (en SELL a duss) is a moon of Saturn discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trajectory

Cassini's speed related to the Sun. The various gravitational slingshots form visible peaks on the left, while the periodic variation on the right is caused by the spacecraft's orbit around Saturn. This updated version contains the data, which reflect the latest changes from the navigation team. The data was from JPL Horizons Ephemeris System by email, and the chart was made by MATLAB R14 v7 for Mac OS X and Adobe Illustrator CS for Mac OS X. The speed above is instantaneous distance in kilometers per second. The date/time is UTC in Spacecraft Event Time, which is from 1997-Oct-16 00:00:01 to 2008-Jul-07 00:00:00, notably there is one leap second during this period.

Cassinis Interplanetary trajectectory; from NASA.gov This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... diagram of projected orbits of Cassini around Saturn; from saturn. ... In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot is the use of the motion of a planet to alter the path and speed of an interplanetary spacecraft. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ... MATLAB, short for matrix laboratory, refers to both the numerical computing environment and to its core programming language. ... Mac OS X is the latest version of the Mac OS operating system for Macintosh computers. ... For the vector-based drawing program from Adobe Systems, see Adobe Illustrator. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... Spacecraft Event Time is the time an event occurs at a spacecraft. ... A leap second is a one-second adjustment to civil time in order to keep it close to the mean solar time. ...

Notes

1. Kevin Grazier, science planning engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/12/24/cassini.titan/index.html)

See also

• Huygens probe
• Cassini-Huygens timeline

An artists impression of the Huygens probe as it descends through Titans murky, brownish-orange atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter. ... This page lists a chronology of events which have occurred or are expected to occur during the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. ...

External links

• Cassini Mission Homepage (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/) by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Cassini Imaging Homepage (http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/)
• Cassini information (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/cassini.html) by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC).
• Photo Gallery - full coverage (http://www.futura-sciences.com/communiquer/g/showgallery.php/cat/525/page/)
• Cassini's Tour de Saturn part A (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01a.html), B (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01b.html), C (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01c.html), D  (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01d1.html), E (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01e.html), F  (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cassini-01f1.html) - descriptions of the 4-year tour of Saturn by Bruce Moomaw
• SpaceflightNow news coverage of the mission (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/cassini/)
• Countdown to Cancel the Cassini Space Probe (http://baltimorechronicle.com/cassini_probe_2.html) by the Baltimore Peace Network in 1997 due to concerns over the use of plutonium

The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ...

Books and print references

• David Harland, "Mission to Saturn: Cassini and the Huygens Probe", 2002 ISBN 1852336560
• Ralph Lorenz & Jacqueline Mitton, "Lifting Titan's Veil: Exploring the Giant Moon of Saturn", 2002 ISBN 0521793483