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Space Science

Cassini Huygens Probe is Ready for Separation 45

Posted by michael from the breaking-up-is-hard-to-do dept.
Lucas.clemente writes "According to The Register, the Huygens probe has been given a clean bill of health and is ready for separation. The probe will enter the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan sometime around Christmas, and is expected to give us some of the most Alien landscape pictures ever taken."
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Cassini Huygens Probe is Ready for Separation More

Cassini Huygens Probe is Ready for Separation

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  • Wrong Date (Score:5, Informative)

    by Philom ( 24273 ) * on Thursday November 25, 2004 @01:13PM (#10918704)
    As usual, the /. blurb has the facts wrong. From the article:

    The Huygens probe will detach from Cassini on Christmas day, and drop into orbit around Titan, Saturn's biggest moon. On 15 January 2005 it will begin its descent into Titan's atmosphere ...

    • Huygens will not orbit Titan (Score:4, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 25, 2004 @03:01PM (#10919470)

      Your dates are correct (I think), but Huygens will not "drop into orbit around" Titan. Instead, Huygens will dive directly into Titan's atmosphere, making a descent that is expected to last a couple of hours before it reaches the surface.

      Entering a stable orbit around a single body such as Titan when arriving from afar costs fuel, something Huygens doesn't have very much of (if any at all). Cassini itself spent quite a bit of fuel to enter its orbit around Saturn on 1 July, and will spend more in January after dropping off Huygens simply to get back into the originally planned orbit (the initial phase was revised to cope with the Huygens-Cassini radio communication problem detected a few years ago). Many orbital changes will use gravity assists from Titan and other moons to conserve fuel.

    • please mod mr. AC up, he's right, no orbit for Huygens.

  • Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Thursday November 25, 2004 @01:18PM (#10918741)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • the thing that's sad... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by jeif1k ( 809151 ) on Thursday November 25, 2004 @01:25PM (#10918802)
      The thing that's sad to me is that for the amount of money we have sunk into the shuttles and various space stations, we could already have an entire fleet of robotic explorers throughout the solar system. As part of that, we'd have developed better propulsion systems, better navigation, stunning scenery, and a wealth of scientific results. If we were to follow such a course, we'd probably even have manned interplanetary voyages sooner than wasting our money on shipping people back and forth with dead-end technologies.

      So, while I agree that exploration is good in its own right, we need to apply financial sense to the effort of exploration itself, and we aren't doing that as much as we should.

      • Re:the thing that's sad... (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Amiga Trombone ( 592952 ) on Thursday November 25, 2004 @04:18PM (#10919940)
        So, while I agree that exploration is good in its own right, we need to apply financial sense to the effort of exploration itself, and we aren't doing that as much as we should.

        Sorry to see you got moded as a Troll, because, as much as I hate to admit it, you do have a point.

        As spectacular as some of our maned missions have been, their cost/benefit ratio in terms of advancing the state of the art has been dubious. While putting men on the moon was quite possibly the greatest achievement in history, it really did little to help us develop a sustainable model for maned space flight.

        Perhaps by having invested more in infrastructure, as you point out, such as propulsion and navigation system, we would have had a more viable, economical and sustainable model for maned space flight, albeit at the sacrifice of immediately gratifying, but ultimately unsustainable, one shot deals like the Apollo program.

        • Perhaps by having invested more in infrastructure, as you point out, such as propulsion and navigation system, we would have had a more viable, economical and sustainable model for maned space flight, albeit at the sacrifice of immediately gratifying, but ultimately unsustainable, one shot deals like the Apollo program.

          Newsflash: Amiga Trombone of Slashdot.org has recently published a hypothesis on why the space program goes around in circles. It appears that the monkeys in charge of funding and PR have

    • There's something stunningly cool about pictures from 'other worlds' - amazing really. I do wish we would drop the 'financial' business sense, and just go in to space because we can. Does there even need to be a valid reason beyond 'why the hell not'

      Let's go! Would you like to make a small contribution to exploration funds? minimum is $990...

      We will go there someday, either because McDonalds will afford it as a marketing stunt or it'll be cost efective to mine the asteroids or some rich guy will ma

      • Re:Will it work? (Score:1, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        "But the time is not now. And I say this after watching more Enterprise episodes then it's good for me :) We simply have too much to do down here, starting with small things like freedom of speech ;) to the big things like getting almost half the population into our world."

        This is way too simplistic. You forget that quality of life is many times driven by exploration. The exploration of the sciences (which for centuries were considered about as useful as arts--enlightening, but don't do anyting useful) h
        • If you make a balance, then over time as the benefits of science and exploration are realized suffering will decrease without additional money.

          Just what I was saying... well, in reverse. Take care of things close to home, and resources for exploration will become available without effort.

          I think truth is somewhere in the middle, balance beeing the key word here. But my main point was that the real frontier _now_ it's down here, not up there, and there's more to gain for a buck invested in installin
    • That's a hell of an idea, why dont you just pony up and buy the required equipment, and go do it.

      oh, you dont have the money to do it? Hmm, i wonder if that has anything with your 'drop the financial responsibility' attitude?

      Never ceases to amaze me how folks are so eager to spend a billion dollars of somebody else's money, but dont have 2 nickels of thier own to spare.

  • Cassini/Hugens is just amazingly cool; we have no idea what we are going to find on the surface. Whatever we find, it's going to change our view of the solar system. And the implications of finding any indication of life in that environment would be staggering.

    • Re:amazingly cool (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 25, 2004 @04:32PM (#10920033)
      True. But the ESA doesn't really have a good track history of landing probes on other celestial objects. I'm really hoping that this is successful. But if you consider that they are:
      1) Landing in an environment of which we don't have a detailed understanding.
      2) Landing without reconnosaince photographs (for example, the Viking probes and the Russians failed landings had orbiters that could see the surface and make an educated guess about the safety of landing there. Even more recent probes had a good idea of the geography of the area that they were landing).
      3) Landing a probe that has been in space for 7 years! The longest that I know of a probe that landed on another object is 1 year for the Viking probes. There are alot of variables with space travel that don't get better with age.
      4) Landing a probe in an atmosphere that at launch time had only been studied by the Voyager probes 20 years before with a brief flyby. The characteristics of the atmosphere have until recently been largely unknown. And the data is still being evaluated. As we learned with Skylab, an atmosphere can change a significant degree from launch to the operations phase (Skylab burned up prematurely due to higher solar flux resulting in the expansion of Earth's atmosphere causing increased drag of the spacestation). Could there also be a chemical reaction with the atmosphere and the spacecraft (heat shield and parachutes in particular) that would destroy its ability to land softly? How will the critical reentry window vary for this atmosphere?
      5) And most importantly, trying to communicate after landing. Radiation doesn't do much good for any solid state components, but communications systems could easily have components fail (compared to other systems except the landing electronics) due to the high power used.

      If ESA succeeds with this landing, it will be (IMHO) the greatest accomplishment of their space program. But if they fail, it certainly won't be suprising seeing how daunting the challenge is.

      • Landing isn't everything (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 25, 2004 @06:18PM (#10920565)

        While it's true that this is a risky mission, it's a calculated risk. It's not like we could spend decades studying the surface of Titan in preparation for a landing, like Mars has been explored by telescope, when the cost of doing so would probably exceed that of the probe itself. We simply have few options besides waiting for improved technologies.

        And, while the characteristics of Titan's surface are essentially unknown, the composition of the atmosphere is somewhat better understood, and Huygens is supposed to transmit data during its estimated two-hour descent. I hope that will include pictures of the surface as well (after the heat shield has been dropped). Whatever is transmitted after a successful landing will be an extra bonus, but it's not like the mission will be a complete failure if the probe drops dead on impact. The precise extent of Titan's atmosphere is probably not much of an issue; Skylab was orbiting Earth for years while Huygens will plunge directly into it in a matter of minutes, and I suppose the parachute and other mechanics are designed to react to actual descent speed of the probe, not to the timer started by Cassini three weeks earlier.

        I know nothing of the physical testing this design has undergone, and I'm also curious about how the chemistry will affect Huygens' components. Still, those compounds aren't unknown on Earth, and chemical tests may very well have been performed.

        You mention communication problems after landing, but one problem [slashdot.org] threatened to render the Huygens-Cassini radio link unusable if it hadn't been discovered in time to be circumvented (by changing Cassini's planned trajectory to reduce its speed relative to Titan during Huygens' descent). Let's hope there are no more such flaws waiting to be discovered, because now is probably a bit late to work around them.

        Even if Huygens itself were to fail completely, Cassini will spend at least four years orbiting Saturn, and so far I find that just as exciting as waiting for January 15. Given the success of the Mars rovers, what says Cassini won't have learned a few more tricks before 2008 and have its mission extended a little?

      • Re:amazingly cool (Score:3, Informative)

        by deglr6328 ( 150198 )
        You're forgetting something......the probe was never primarily designed to land! 99% of its data is supposed to be taken as it falls through the atmosphere to the surface. If it does survive landing then that's just an extra bonus.

        • Re:amazingly cool (Score:1, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward
          A probe that fails to land probably has had a failure that would ruin the rest of the mission anyways. If the probe enters the atmosphere at the wrong time (for its window) it will burn up or be deflected giving no useful data. If the probe fails to actuate its parachutes it will have a very short mission giving little useful data. If there is a failure in the parachutes themselves the probe will have a very short mission giving little useful data. In fact my points 3-5 are still completely valid and
      • Just a thought about the chutes. What kind of material will maintain flexibility at the temperatures that will be encountered in the atmosphere. First the probe will be scorched by re-entry, then flash frozen to the point where almost all materials become extremely brittle. The thermal stresses will be incredible on the electronics as well. I have a feeling there will be new Huygens-sized crater on Titan.
    • I think this is exaggerated. It's only one moon! I don't see how exploring its surface is going to change our view of the solar system. As for finding life - Titan IS 'amazingly cool' - probably close to -200C! If there were some kind of life on the ice landscape or in any hydrocarbon seas we would probably not recognise it and it would be very, very slow!

      Having said all this, I think its potentially the most exciting space exploration event for decades.
      • I think this is exaggerated. It's only one moon! I don't see how exploring its surface is going to change our view of the solar system.

        Because it may tell us a lot about how the solar system evolved and how most of the smaller planets started out as.

        As for finding life - Titan IS 'amazingly cool' - probably close to -200C! If there were some kind of life on the ice landscape or in any hydrocarbon seas we would probably not recognise it and it would be very, very slow!

        Not necessarily. While enzymatic
        • Because it may tell us a lot about how the solar system evolved and how most of the smaller planets started out as.

          This is not the same as changing our whole view of the solar system, I think. I may be being pedantic though..

          While enzymatic reactions that our metabolism relies on slow to a standstill at those temperatures, completely different chemistries become possible as the basis of life.

          True, but remember that water and carbon are very, very special in terms of their behaviour and possibilities.
          • I think this is a false analogy. The reason that supercomputers are cooled is to prevent the chips melting!

            Semiconductors generally work better if they are operated at lower temperatures. That is, if you cool your CPU to, say, -196C, you can actually run it faster than if you merely keep it around its nominal operating temperature (say +40C). Some supercomputers were designed around this extra performance boost (like the ETA10).

            Chemical reactions are very, very, very much slower at the temperature of
            • I find it far more plausible that life evolved originally under Titan-like conditions and temperatures than on an anaerobic, wet earth.

              How could it possibly? Carbon-based life on Earth is very finely tuned to an aqueous environment: every molecule in the cell requires either water or a lipid/water interface. Earth biochemistry simply won't work unless it's wet! There may be life on Titan (although I am very doubtful), but one thing is sure - its nothing at all like Earth life, and Earth life was never
              • How could it possibly? Carbon-based life on Earth is very finely tuned to an aqueous environment: every molecule in the cell requires either water or a lipid/water interface. Earth biochemistry simply won't work unless it's wet!

                Well, then we obviously have to conclude that life around hydrothermal vents must have evolved independently from other life on earth because the temperature and chemical environment there would kill other life, right?

                There may be life on Titan (although I am very doubtful), but
                • Well, then we obviously have to conclude that life around hydrothermal vents must have evolved independently from other life on earth because the temperature and chemical environment there would kill other life, right?

                  Life around hydrothermal vents has a common biochemistry with other life. DNA. Lipid cell membranes. Mitochondria. Its all water-based! The discovery that life can exist, and thrive, at temperatures a few tens of degrees celcius higher than we thought is awesome, but does not mean that c
                  • [There is no justification for the "was never like Titan life" assertion.]

                    Of course there is. There is not the slightest evidence that Earth-based life was ever in any way adapted to living at -200C in hydrocarbon lakes.

                    Absence of evidence is not the same as evidence to the contrary. There was no evidence that life would exist around hydrothermal vents either, and most biologists would have considered the idea preposterous until it was actually found: after all, people thought they had lots of good reas
                    • Absence of evidence is not the same as evidence to the contrary.

                      True, but as Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I could just as easily say that all life on Earth originated on Jupiter! (and considering the cloud chemistry and temperature range, that is vastly more likely than Titan).

                      There was no evidence that life would exist around hydrothermal vents either, and most biologists would have considered the idea preposterous until it was actually found: after all, people

  • How will the descent go...? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Let's hope they didn't install the orientation sensor upside-down!

    (this is a reference to that particle-collecting probe that came back to earth and smashed instead of opening its chutes)
  • I think we need to be supportive for the Cassini craft, in this time of great sadness. Nobody likes to see their only probe leave the nest so early, let's pray that little Huygens has a safe journey.
    • She's had seven years; I think the lil guy is mature enough as is. Reminds me of that quote: "The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever."

      Ya hear that, NASA?

  • Planetary Society's Huygens art contest (Score:5, Informative)

    by FleaPlus ( 6935 ) on Thursday November 25, 2004 @06:01PM (#10920468) Journal
    This may be a little late, but the Planetary Society is running an art contest [planetary.org], challenging contestants to create a piece of artwork (including the computer-generated sort) depicting what they think Titan will be like. Entries can be submitted online [planetary.org], and the deadline is this Sunday.

    Here's the official text from the contest announcement:

    What lies beneath the hazy atmosphere that envelops Saturn's moon, Titan? Is the surface of the moon dotted with seas of liquid ethane? Do icy crags stretch towards a dim orange sky where high noon is only as bright as 1/1000th the level of daylight on Earth? No one knows -- yet.

    On January 14, 2005, The European Space Agency's probe Huygens will plummet through the atmosphere to give us our first detailed look at Titan. Before the probe breaks through the clouds to image this mysterious moon, we invite you to imagine what Huygens will find and enter The Planetary Society's art contest.

    HOW TO ENTER:
    Create an artwork representing what you imagine Titan looks like underneath its haze. Base your perspective on Huygens' journey. Are you viewing the planet from the air after Huygens breaks through the cloud or on the surface after the craft has parachuted to a landing? Did Huygens land on solid ground, or is she floating in an ethane sea? Send us your vision of what lies beneath the veil when you imagine Titan.

    Once you've finished your artwork, you can enter the contest online--you don't have to mail your artwork in! Just create it on the computer, or take a digital photo or scan your artwork. If you are not able to enter the contest digitally, you can mail your artwork to us.

    CONTEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    Who can enter?
    Anyone aged 10 and above may enter. You can enter as a Youth (aged 10-17) or Adult (18 and over).

    What kind of art can I create?
    You can use any medium to create your artwork, and then show it to us by submitting a digital image through the online entry form.

    Or, if you choose, you can mail your art to us. If you mail your art, it cannot be larger than 1 by 11 by 17 inches (2.5 by 28 by 43 cm), and we will not return it to you. Send your entry to: Huygens Art Contest, The Planetary Society, 65 N Catalina Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106, USA. Click here for a donloadable entry form in PDF format.

    When does the contest end?
    Sunday, November 28, 2004 at 23:59 Pacific time.

    What can I win?
    Four First Prizes (two Youths, two Adults) and up to twenty Second Prizes will be awarded. A Grand Prize Winner will be chosen from among the First Prize Winners.
    The Grand Prize is a trip to Darmstadt, Germany to be on site at ESA's Space Operations Centre for the descent of the Huygens probe!
    All Winners' artworks will be displayed at ESA's European Space Operations Centre during the Huygens mission to Titan. All Winners will also receive a Planetary Society Prize Package including one year free Planetary Society membership, a Certificate of Honor, a Cassini-Huygens Mission Patch, an ESA poster, pin, and keychain, and a "Nine Planets" lithograph set.
    Two Special Prizes (one Youth and one Adult) will also be awarded for that art most closely resembling any portion of the actual Titan panoramic landscape taken by the Huygens probe during its final stages of descent. These awards will be made within 30 days following the return of the actual Titan image data, and will each consist of a framed and autographed Huygens photo of the Titan landscape.

    • Autographed photo? (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      These awards will be made within 30 days following the return of the actual Titan image data, and will each consist of a framed and autographed Huygens photo of the Titan landscape.

      Who will autograph that photo? Huygens himself?

  • Visible from Earth?? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by another_henry ( 570767 ) <slashdot@he n r y h a l l a m.cjb.net> on Thursday November 25, 2004 @07:32PM (#10920864) Homepage
    From article:

    On 15 January 2005 it will begin its descent into Titan's atmosphere, an event that might even be visible from Earth, provided you have a decent telescope, and are in the right place at the time.

    Is this really possible? Considering this [nasa.gov] is all Hubble can make out of the whole moon, I find it hard to believe that the atmospheric entry could be bright enough to be seen from this far away. (The Cassini spacecraft itself is far far below the resolution of any Earth-based or orbital telecope)

    Would be cool though if Cassini could photograph Huygens' descent, but I expect this will be precluded by the attitute necessary for proper radio communication.

  • It almost went horribly wrong... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by MutantEnemy ( 545783 ) on Thursday November 25, 2004 @09:17PM (#10921341) Homepage
    Interesting story here [ieee.org] about how it almost went disasterously wrong...
    • Yeesh! The whole mission, nearly blown over - what? - a radio designer worried about Intellectual Property (I hate that word more than ever, now!) and top officials more concerned about looking good now (and blaming the techs later for any mistakes) than in the mission itself.


      I think we've found ourselves some "candidates" for the manned Mars mission. The great part of it is that NASA can save money by not building the return vehicle.

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