Huygens Probe Prepares for Saturn Moon Landing

Nathan writes "A probe is about to land on one of Saturn's 35 moons, Titan. The probe is a collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and Italy's space program. The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. This landing should lead scientists toward new information about the atmosphere and the magnetosphere."

Probe size

[TWX]

"The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle."

An original Beetle, or a Super Beetle? Or even a new water-cooled "New Beetle"?

With the Italian involvement, wouldn't comparing it to a Volkswagen Scirocco be more appropriate?

at least the probe isn't being compared to a Ford Probe...

I can't wait

[Ghettoceleb]

I hope we can find decent parking.

Interesting article tidbits

[ZiZ]

The Cassini-Huygens mission is an unprecedented $3.3-billion effort between NASA, the European Space Agency and Italy's space program to study Saturn and its 33 known moons.

I didn't know Italy had a space program, though I suppose it makes sense.

"It's really very cold." ... Temperatures hover around -292 F (-180 C) ...

And the understatement award of the year goes to...Candice Hansen, a scientist for the Cassini-Huygens mission!

Re:35

[spac3manspiff]

How dare you call Einstein's head a moon.

Re:Probe size

[k4_pacific]

Clearly it's not the new Beetle, as the cold temperatures on Titan would freeze the engine coolant.

Re:Good luck!

[lucabrasi999]

I wish everybody involved good luck

Wait...are you wishing them good luck in Metric or English measurements?

I smell a spinoff TV movie and possible series...

[Jaidon]

"The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle"

called "Herbie the Love Probe." Wait...that doesn't sound right. It won't be a TV movie, it'll be the new hot pr0n on satellite. It'll certainly be easy to transmit!

I'm so going to hell now.

Re:Good luck!

[lucabrasi999]

It's an unmanned probe.
Shyeah. Try telling that to the men and women back at Mission Control.

He didn't say anything about women.

Re:Not quite true

[Anonymous Coward]

I've see Uranus, too. And it's not worth the trip.

Re:35 moons!

[Mukaikubo]

Don't worry, Planetary Protection Officers are insane. About every probe that leaves Earth is baked in an oven to sterilize it.

this just in from Titan...

[seven of five]

"I for one welcome our Earthly overlords..."

Good luck

[g0dsp33d]

Hats off to NASA for the 2 rovers, lets hope we learn as much from this. Scary thought, Windows Space Probe Edition. Huygens: image source = bl_scr01.jpg NASA: Crap.

Re:Popular science cliche

[xtermin8]

You will find very many popular science articles that use the Beetle as a standard of measurement. Most often as a weight measurement. This may have something to do with the budgets of science teachers through the last half of the 20th century. As many of them could not afford a newer model Beetle, we can safely assume its the old one.

Re:Probe size

[Waffle Iron]

An original Beetle, or a Super Beetle? Or even a new water-cooled "New Beetle"?

After NASA's previous troubles with imperial measurements, I'm glad to see that they're moving to standard pop-scientific units. The standard unit of volume is based on the Super Beetle, since that was the current model when this benchmark first came into widespread use.

BTW, the standard Beetle has recently been redefined in terms of human hair; it is now defined as exactly 1.374569443*10^14 cubic human hair widths. The length of a football field and the distance from New York to San Francisco have similarly been redefined as hair multiples. These recent harmonizations will help bring a new consistency to science news stories across all media outlets.

Re:Probe size

[Siener]

In keeping with the space theme, wouldn't it be better to say that it's about the size of a Ford Prefect? [wikipedia.org]

Re:Timeline and (better) coverage...

[Anonymous Coward]

i once pondered that. then i took a hit on the old bong pipe and fell asleep.

Re:35 moons!

[utexaspunk]

Check back with me when we get to Alpha Centauri in 10,000 years

Pah! We'll be on future tech 47 by then and probably have a Conquest victory before you get your Space Race victory. Besides, the game ends in 45 years...

Re:Here is a Countdown

[rhennigan]

Thats crazy! Did you know in mid 2008 Cassini justs stops dead and hovers there? Something fishy there...

Re:Probe size

[Anonymous Coward]

"The probe is apparently about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle."

Ouch.

Re:Timeline and (better) coverage...

[FrostedWheat]

How totally exciting, to be here in the future :-)

Your are guilty of temporal violation. Please remain where you are! Time police are making there way to you now. Don't try sneaking back to your own time either ... we where already be.. there... ummm...

first probe images

[EccentricAnomaly]

First images [planetary.org] from the probe are very curious indeed.

Re:35 moons!

[dabigpaybackski]

What amazes me is that Mars, a planet with a third the mass of Earth, has two moons whereas we only have one. Saturn has 35 moons! And two rings! I wish Earth were as cool as that.

Great, an Earth with 35 moons. Now try putting yourself in the shoes of the guy who would have to write the tide tables. And what would the added gravitational stresses do to our tectonic situation--see Io for example. And finally, just how fricking wierd and convoluted would our religions be with that many bright and gravely portentious celestial objects flitting around the heavens? So remember, before you go and start tacking on moons, think of the ramifications first.