Wed, Dec 29, 2004
Latest Mission Status Report
NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully performed a getaway
maneuver on Monday, Dec. 27, to keep it from following the European
Space Agency's Huygens probe into the atmosphere of Saturn's moon
Titan.
This maneuver established the required geometry between the
probe and the orbiter for radio communications during the probe
descent on Jan. 14. The probe has no navigating capability, so the
Cassini orbiter had been placed on a deliberate collision course
with Titan to ensure the accurate delivery of the probe to
Titan.
The Huygens probe successfully detached from the Cassini orbiter
on Dec. 24. All systems performed as expected. The European Space
Agency's Huygens probe will be the first human-made object to
explore on-site the unique environment of Titan, whose chemistry is
thought to be very similar to that of early Earth before life
arose.
Next for Cassini is a flyby of Saturn's icy moon Iapetus on Dec.
31. Iapetus is Saturn's two-faced moon -- one side is very bright,
and the other is very dark. One scenario for this striking
difference is that the moon's surface is being resurfaced by some
material spewing from within.
The Cassini spacecraft has been in orbit around Saturn since
June 30, 2004, and has returned stunning pictures of Saturn, its
rings and many moons. Titan has already been the subject of two
close flybys by Cassini. With 43 more flybys planned and the
in-situ measurements made by the probe, it is likely only a matter
of time before Titan's secrets begin to unfold.
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