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To: RightWhale
I presume what they are talking about is what they are going to do with the data, or how they are going to obtain it; i.e., where they plan to drop it or what they are going to command it to do once it arrives. Just like the Mars rovers, they might have some options of what data to obtain, etc. and they are trying to decide. I'm not for certain, but I think it's a fixed probe; no mobility. I'm not real familiar with how much control they have over it when it arrives on Titan.
19 posted on 02/20/2004 12:00:13 PM PST by Two Thirds Vote Aye
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To: Two Thirds Vote Aye
I'll just stick this reference in here, even though it is not Mars oriented. Things to come.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases-01/20010629-pr-a.cfm

. . .

The new plan will change the planned release date and geometry for the part of the mission in which the Huygens probe will parachute into the thick atmosphere of Titan. The new date will be Jan. 14, 2005, seven weeks later than originally planned. The plan will also position the Cassini orbiter farther away during that descent.

. . .

Interesting that they can reprogram their lander bot on the fly. We'll see a lot more of this flexibility in future missions, especially with NASA's new emphasis on robotics (in other words, increased funding.)

22 posted on 02/20/2004 12:11:29 PM PST by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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