CassiniHuygens A mission to Saturn

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Cassini-HuygensA mission to Saturn

• The trip
• The Spacecraft
• The Goals
• Discoveries

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Some facts

• Christian Huygens discovered the rings
• Jean Dominique Cassini discovered 4 other smaller
  satellites
• As of today no one knows
• how those rings are formed
• whether Titans atmosphere is similar to the
  earths

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The Trip
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The Launch

• Launched in 1997, Cassini Huygens is the 1st
  spatial mission consecrated to Saturn
  exploration.
• It is also a great cooperation between Europe and
  the United States

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A great Cooperation
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Trajectory

• 7 years
• 5 Billions km
• Distance between Saturn and Earth 1.2 billions
  km
• Average speed of 87000km/h
• Trajectory called VVEJGA

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VVEJGAVenus-Venus-Earth-Jupiter-Gravity-Assist
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Mission status

• The module Huygens was dropped on Titan surface
  in January 2005.
• The Cassini spacecraft is still on orbit around
  Saturn and will stay there for over 4 years

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2. The Spacecraft
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Dimensions

• The Cassini spacecraft stands more than 6.7
  metres high and is more than 4 metres wide.
• The orbiter alone weighs 2125 kilograms.
• Total mass of the Huygens probe is 349 kilograms,
• The launch mass of Cassini-Huygens was 5.82
  tonnes, of which 3.1 tonnes were propellant.

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Equipment

• Equipped for 27 science investigation
• The Cassini orbiter has 12 instruments
• the Huygens probe had six.
• These instruments are all designed to perform
  in-situ (on-site) studies of elements of Saturn,
  its atmosphere, moons, rings and magnetosphere.

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3. The Goals
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Saturn's science objectives

• Determine the temperature field and composition
  of Saturn's atmosphere.
• Measure the planet's global wind field
• Determine the internal structure and rotation of
  the deep atmosphere.
• Study daily variations and relationship between
  the ionosphere and the planet's magnetic field.
• Determine the composition, and radiation
  environment present during Saturn's formation and
  evolution.
• Investigate sources and nature of Saturn's
  lightning.

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The science objectives of Saturn's mysterious
rings

• Study configuration of the rings and dynamic
  processes responsible for ring structure.
• Map the composition and size distribution of ring
  material.
• Investigate the interrelation of Saturn's rings
  and moons, including imbedded moons.
• Determine the distribution of dust and meteoroid
  distribution in the vicinity of the rings.
• Study the interactions between the rings and
  Saturn's magnetosphere, ionosphere and
  atmosphere.

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The Science objectives of Titan

• Determine the most abundant elements, and most
  likely scenarios for the formation and evolution
  of Titan and its atmosphere.
• Determine the relative amounts of different
  components of the atmosphere
• Observe vertical and horizontal distributions of
  trace gases search for complex molecules
• Measure winds and global temperatures
• Determine the physical state, topography and
  composition of Titan's surface characterize its
  internal structure.
• Investigate Titan's upper atmosphere
• Determine whether Titan's surface is liquid or
  solid

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Titan

• The diameter of Titan is only 40 of Earth's
• The only moon known to have clouds and a
  mysterious, planet-like atmosphere
• Since Titan's surface is shrouded from view,
  conditions on the surface are not well understood

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4. Discoveries
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• - The most important discovery is that
• Titan may have volcanoes that release methane
  into the atmosphere

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Main sources

• www.nasa.gov
• www.esa.int