Cassini-Huygens and Titan

I have been keeping track of the Cassini-Huygens probe as much as possible, but little information comes through on Dialup. I'm gonna make a timeline here, constantly updated as I see new articles. If anyone has a correction or article to go here, post it and it goes into the timeline. Personally I think this is GREAT to see that we're finally getting around to exploring our solar system up close and personal (with probes, not guys. I'm tired of staring at Mars and Venus). Since I don't know exact dates I'm gonna post the timeline just in order until I figure out an exact date.

-Cassini-Huygens launched
-Cassini-Huygens takes photos of the surface of Titan, apparently seeing a sea and rivers of liquid methane
-Probe touches down, probe actually intact (NASA didn't think it would survive) because its long antennae arm got stuck in a really mushy ground
-NO METHANE! We see a very arid area, absolutely no methane or liquid. I have cleverly named this part of the timline "Titan Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Methane"

I know the list ain't too long for right now but as articles are posted here and events unfold I'll expand it. I'd like to expand this until it the Cassini (correction) runs out of power. Its gonna be one heckuva timeline =)


[edit on 24-6-2005 by Darkpr0]

Huygens ran out of power, a few hours after landing.
Perhaps you mean til Cassini runs out?

yeah, actually. I couldn't remember which was the landing probe and the rover. I'm an idiot. Lol

For a probe it didn't take many pictures didn't it? The whole Huygens thing was a complete write off. If you are going to take a long flight like that they should at least made the thing last a few weeks and gave it some sort of motive of locomotion.

Darkpr0,

Nah, you're not an idiot. Just a mistake..

I encourage you to update us on the lates Cassini information..
Maybe we'll all learn something!

You could just put a link to here saturn.jpl.nasa.gov... and save yourself some time

Originally posted by The Block
You could just put a link to here saturn.jpl.nasa.gov... and save yourself some time

True, we could do that with a majority of things we talk about on ATS..
It more fun to link to the interesting nuggets, and talk about them here.

Originally posted by GoldEagle
For a probe it didn't take many pictures didn't it? The whole Huygens thing was a complete write off. If you are going to take a long flight like that they should at least made the thing last a few weeks and gave it some sort of motive of locomotion.

Huygenes was an ESA project, which also means FRENCH!

Did you really expect something that came out of France to be good???

Originally posted by MickeyDee
Huygenes was an ESA project, which also means FRENCH!

Did you really expect something that came out of France to be good???

Originally posted by MickeyDee

Originally posted by GoldEagle
For a probe it didn't take many pictures didn't it? The whole Huygens thing was a complete write off. If you are going to take a long flight like that they should at least made the thing last a few weeks and gave it some sort of motive of locomotion.

Huygenes was an ESA project, which also means FRENCH!

Did you really expect something that came out of France to be good???

Hey, the Super (something, can't remember exactly, its a French Air Force aircraft), and the Dassault Rafale (that was French, wasn't it?) ain't half bad!

Originally posted by GoldEagle
For a probe it didn't take many pictures didn't it?

Half of them were wasted as some idiot in the flight control center forgot to open the second data channel.

www.spaceflightnow.com...

Originally posted by Darkpr0
Hey, the Super (something, can't remember exactly, its a French Air Force aircraft), and the Dassault Rafale (that was French, wasn't it?) ain't half bad!

The Harrier was still better!

And i bet it was us that made the best parts of Concorde!

You guys are insane.

Cassini Huygens has been a remarkable success (one that'll keep the scientists busy for decades).

Just because it didn't do the immeadiate and obvious 'eye candy' stuff you're expecting is no reason to write off the excellent science both the orbiter and the lander did do and, in the case of the orbiter, continue to do.

(As it turned out the lander lasted far longer than anyone thought possible, given the hostile and very alien environment.

Just saying "they shoulda....." is so ridiculous, they did the best they could - USA & Europe - and exceeded everybodies' expectations......by some margin too.)

ESA and NASA did extremely well on this mission; so well that collaborative ventures are being planned again.

(BTW the Mars Express is also demonstrating very nicely just how good ESA has gotten at this 'game'.)

[edit on 25-6-2005 by sminkeypinkey]

sminkeypinkey,

Good post!.

People, thats why it was called a PROBE.
Just an initial scouting expedition..
the most important discovery, in my opinion is that
you CAN actually land on Titan..

Now that we know that, a true lander can be designed.
Then you'll get your purdy pictures..ok?

Originally posted by spacedoubt

the most important discovery, in my opinion is that
you CAN actually land on Titan..

Now that we know that, a true lander can be designed.
Then you'll get your purdy pictures..ok?

Correct, I think. We thought that Titan was an enormous sea of methane, and didn't know if landing was possible. This shows that A: We can land and B: DUDE! Where's my methane!

B: DUDE! Where's my methane!

Don't ever say that when camping with the guys.

It was a surprise, the surface of Titan. Killed a lot of theories.
Now it kind of reminds me of a Chilly version of Venus, instead of Earth.

Cassini can still deliver some pretty nice data, as well as decent surface info
at certain wavelengths. So there is more to be discovered.!