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1999 RITTI Conference1999 RITTI Conference
Cassini-Huygens mission to SaturnCassini-Huygens mission to Saturn Galileo’s continued mission at Galileo’s continued mission at
JupiterJupiter Solar System Ambassador ProgramSolar System Ambassador Program Student involvementStudent involvement
CassiniCassini
The mission is named in honor of the seventeenth-century, French-Italian astronomer Jean Dominique Cassini, who discovered the prominent gap in Saturn's main rings, as well as the icy moons Iapetus, Rhea, Dione, and Tethys.
HuygensHuygens
The ESA Titan probe is named in honor of the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Titan in 1655, followed in 1659 by his rediscovery of a ring system surrounding the planet. Huygens was also famous for his invention of the pendulum clock, the first accurate timekeeping device.
Cassini-Huygens Mission Cassini-Huygens Mission Objectives (sic)Objectives (sic)
to return information about the Saturn system; its rings, moons, magnetosphere, and last but not least, the planet itself.
to have the spacecraft captured in orbit about Saturn and provide the opportunity for an on-site observatory to map the vast realm for many years
Small MiraclesSmall Miracles
900,000,000 miles (1,430,000,000 900,000,000 miles (1,430,000,000 kilometers)kilometers)
6.7 years flight time6.7 years flight time ““gravity assists”gravity assists”
Did you know...? When the Voyager spacecraft flew by Jupiter, it gained 16 kilometers (10 miles) per second of speed at a
cost of slowing down Jupiter by 1 foot every
trillion years!
ArrivalArrival
Scheduled to arrive on July 1, 2004Scheduled to arrive on July 1, 2004 Deployment of the Huygens probe Deployment of the Huygens probe
to Titan is scheduled for to Titan is scheduled for November 5, 2004 with the probe November 5, 2004 with the probe scheduled to enter the atmosphere scheduled to enter the atmosphere of Titan on Nov 27.of Titan on Nov 27.
Why go?Why go?
More information...More information...
Cassini-Huygens models (1/37th Cassini-Huygens models (1/37th and 1/40th scale) and 1/40th scale) www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/modelwww.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/model
Cassini Home Page - Cassini Home Page - www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassiniwww.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini
The HurdlesThe Hurdles
Challenger explosion in Jan 86 grounded Challenger explosion in Jan 86 grounded the shuttle fleet until problems were the shuttle fleet until problems were fixed.fixed.
Centaur rocket forbidden to be carried Centaur rocket forbidden to be carried aboard a shuttleaboard a shuttle
VEEGA gravity assistVEEGA gravity assist Flying closer to the sun than originally Flying closer to the sun than originally
designeddesigned Aging, navigational hardwareAging, navigational hardware
The bonusThe bonus
VenusVenus Earth/MoonEarth/Moon Asteroid 951 Asteroid 951
(Gaspra)(Gaspra) Asteroid 243 (Ida) Asteroid 243 (Ida)
& Dactyl& Dactyl Shoemaker-Levy Shoemaker-Levy
99
HistoryHistory
Launched from Atlantis on Oct 18, Launched from Atlantis on Oct 18, 19891989
Primary orbit achieved Dec 95Primary orbit achieved Dec 95 Two year mission ended (with Two year mission ended (with
funding) in Dec 97funding) in Dec 97 New funding achieved to continue New funding achieved to continue
mission until Dec 99mission until Dec 99 Flybys of Europa and IoFlybys of Europa and Io
A new focusA new focus
Concentrating on the unique moon Concentrating on the unique moon Europa, the second portion of the Europa, the second portion of the Galileo mission has discovered new Galileo mission has discovered new & exciting possibilities.& exciting possibilities.
Our first views of Europa, through Our first views of Europa, through Pioneer 10 and 11 gave fuzzy views Pioneer 10 and 11 gave fuzzy views of yellow plains, mottled areas, & of yellow plains, mottled areas, & cracks - thousands of kilometers longcracks - thousands of kilometers long
Galileo imagesGalileo images
Small blocks of Small blocks of crust float over an crust float over an invisible seainvisible sea
Tidal flexingTidal flexing Volcanic ice flowsVolcanic ice flows Liquid water Liquid water
ocean?ocean? Life?Life?
Key to LifeKey to Life
Very High Resolution Image of Icy Cliffs on Europa and Similar Scales on Earth (Providence, RI)
Key to LifeKey to Life
"The combination of interior heat, liquid water, and infall of organic material from comets and meteorites means that Europa has the key ingredients for life," Head says. "Europa, like Mars and the Saturn moon Titan, is a laboratory for the study of conditions that might have led to the formation of life in the solar system."
IoIo
The most volcanically active body The most volcanically active body in the solar system.in the solar system.
Some of its features change within Some of its features change within weeksweeks
Chemical & Physical Chemical & Physical activityactivity
No impact cratersNo impact craters Sulfur and frozen Sulfur and frozen
sulfer dioxidesulfer dioxide Iron coreIron core Sodium gas and Sodium gas and
sulfur ions in the sulfur ions in the torus of Io’s orbittorus of Io’s orbit
ComparisonComparison
While Olympus Mons (Mars) may be While Olympus Mons (Mars) may be the largest volcano in the solar the largest volcano in the solar system, it has been dormant for system, it has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of yearshundreds of thousands of years
Io, launches streams of fluidic sulfurs Io, launches streams of fluidic sulfurs and silicates over 60 km from the and silicates over 60 km from the surface. The particles freeze and fall surface. The particles freeze and fall back to the surface as a sulfur dioxide back to the surface as a sulfur dioxide snowsnow
Coming soon...Coming soon...
Galileo flyby of Io on Nov 26th at a Galileo flyby of Io on Nov 26th at a distance of about 300 km as distance of about 300 km as compared to the Oct 11 flyby at compared to the Oct 11 flyby at 611 km611 km
Solar System AmbassadorSolar System Ambassador
Jet Propulsions Laboratory Jet Propulsions Laboratory Community Education and Community Education and
OutreachOutreach
DutiesDuties
Four presentations to the public on Four presentations to the public on current space missionscurrent space missions
…………
How to apply...How to apply...
www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassadorwww.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador 17 page applications17 page applications not a cyclical processnot a cyclical process
Student involvementStudent involvement
Three presentationsThree presentations PowerPointPowerPoint Parental invitationsParental invitations Extra Credit assignmentsExtra Credit assignments video tapevideo tape