Titan-A Preview Overview

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Titan-A Preview Overview

• Trina L. Ray

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Titan-A Overview Summary

• Closest approach
• Altitude 1200km (746 miles)
• Time 2004-300T153021 (Spacecraft Event Time,
  UTC)
• Speed 6.1 km/s (14,000 mph)
• Phase 91 degrees (low phase inbound)
• On thrusters
• 3445 Mbits received on Earth between 630pm and
  330am on Tuesday
• Science Highlights
• Inbound movies to look for cloud motion and wind
  speed measurements
• First in-situ sampling of Titans atmosphere
• First crossing through Titans plasma wake
• First medium and high resolution imaging of
  Titan, including imaging of Huygens landing site.
  Surface composition and fluid feature mapping
  (lake, rivers), as well as looking for aerosol
  and cloud structures in the atmosphere, methane
  fluorescence, and volcanic activity.
• First Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) imaging of
  Titans surface, as well as scatterometry of
  Huygens landing site. Altimetry and Radiometry
  on outbound leg.
• Measure the stratospheric temperatures versus
  pressure (and therefore density), in part to
  contribute to Huygens mission validation at the
  altitudes of parachute deployment
• Detailed study of Titans interaction with
  Saturns magnetosphere, as well as further
  constrain the possible internal magnetic field of
  Titan. Characterize the ion composition and
  charge state near Titan

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Titan-A Trajectory Overview
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Titan-A Observation Overview
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Titan-A Press Conference Schedule

• Tuesday, Oct. 26
• -- Live NASA TV commentary on first Titan
  pictures from the flyby, 630 p.m. to midnight
  PDT. Program will be in several segments during
  that period.
• Wednesday, Oct. 27
• -- News briefing, quick look at images, 9 to 10
  a.m. PDT
• -- Live satellite interviews on NASA TV, noon to
  4 p.m. PDT
• Thursday, Oct. 28
• -- News briefing, science results, 9 to 10 a.m.
  PDT

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Titan-A Data Playback Overview
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