CassiniHuygens

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Cassini-Huygens
This presentation was adapted from one prepared
by Prof. John C. ZarneckiPSSRI, The Open
University, UK, by B Davies
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Participating Countries
The mission is a collaboration between many
European countries, USA and Australia
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Discoverer of Titan Christiaan Huygens
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Cassini/Huygens Scientific Aims

• Titan
• What is in the atmosphere
• Where and how much
• Winds and temperatures (the temperature on the
  surface is expected to be -180C)
• Surface state and what it is made of
• Upper atmosphere

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Cassini-Huygens in orbit around Saturn
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The Layout of Cassini-Huygens
1 2 3
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What the SSP look likes inside
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What welcome can Huygens expect?
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Huygens descent
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Huygens SSP Summary

• The SSP uses 9 sensors
• These Sensors can function under various surface
  scenarios (solid or liquid)
• The sensors measure
• The speed of sound in the atmosphere or in
  liquid.
• The Density of liquids found
• The refractive index of a liquid
• Some electrical properties (liquid or gas)
• Thermal properties (liquid or gas)

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Landing Scenarios
Prof. John C. ZarneckiPSSRI, The Open
University, UK.
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This can tell what kind of surface Huygens has
landed on
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What would you choose?

• Space and weight are always a problem for any
  space mission. Other scientists and countries all
  want to put their apparatus and experiments on
  this craft, or on Cassini itself. Space and size
  are all extremely valuable every gram has to be
  fought for and justified.

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• The structure of the casing and its weight will
  affect the overall mass in turn affecting the
  overall payload
• Of course the Huygens craft has to keep all the
  apparatus inside it safe, it has to be able to
  cope with a vacuum (space) and the atmosphere of
  Titan.
• What would you choose?

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• Features of the Cassini-Huygens craft

Picture from the www.nasa.gov website
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