Posted on 06/03/2004 9:35:07 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Edited on 07/19/2004 2:14:19 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
June 3 (Bloomberg) -- The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, a European-U.S. project, is approaching Saturn after a journey of almost seven years and on July 1 is scheduled to become the first manmade object to orbit the ringed planet.
The Cassini orbiter and Huygens probe were launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Oct. 15, 1997. The orbiter will study Saturn, its 31 moons, rings and magnetic environment. The probe will detach from Cassini in six months to descend to one of the moons. For scientists at London's Imperial College, the insertion of the craft into orbit represents ``the most critical moment of the mission,'' according to an e-mailed statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at quote.bloomberg.com ...
Hey Thirds.....take a bow buddy!
NASA has a 67 page PDF press pack with some good info:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-kits/cassini-arrival.pdf
ringed ping
Thanks! I learned something new about Saturn in the process. The "gap" the Cassini probe is going through is expansive, since the G-ring is so far out comparatively-speaking to the rest.
See posts #23 and 25.
Science list ping (a subset of the evolution list). FReepmail me to be added or dropped.
From the south?? Where is south in outer space???
I guess that means towards Saturn's southern hemisphere.
Most of the planets have spin alignments something crudely like Earth's. Also, most planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane. Thus, you can assign North and South poles comparable to the poles of Earth. One of the outer guys is lying over spinning practically on its side. I'm not sure how "North" and "South" were arrived at in that case.
Thanks...placemarker to come back for your goodies.
"North" is defined using the good old "right hand rule." If you curl the fingers of your right hand in the direction of the rotation of the body, your right thumb will be pointing along the angular momentum vector, and thus, by definition, "north." Try it.
North, south, east, and west are a little different on the planets than on earth. The tradition possibly got started with the use of telescope that inverted the image, but the west side of the moon, for example is the same direction as the west on earth. While north and south are aligned with earth's north and south, east and west got reversed on the planets if you should one day be standing on planets. We have a very earth-centered view of the solar system that ought to be confusing to astronauts for the rest of time.
Saturn Bump.
7-year bump
Looking forward to this. BTTT
Ouch! Should have known.
Absolutely, positively try out that Celestia software. MINDBLOWING! <|:)~
Saturn is in Gemeni right now so wouldn't that mean on/by July 1st it's going to be behind the sun? So how are they going to get a transmittion?
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