Cassini Significant Events 06/02/10 - 06/08/10
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired on June 8 from the
Deep Space Network tracking complex at Goldstone, California. The Cassini
spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and all subsystems are
operating normally. Information on the present position and speed of the
Cassini spacecraft may be found on the "Present Position" page
at
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/presentposition/.
Thursday, June 3 (DOY 54)
Non-targeted flybys of Helene, Calypso, Pandora, Tethys, and Rhea
occurred today.
Two new papers based on data from Cassini scrutinize the complex chemical
activity on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. While non-biological
chemistry offers a probable explanation, some scientists believe these
chemical signatures bolster the argument for a primitive, exotic form of
life or precursor to life on Titan's surface. According to one theory,
the signatures fulfill two important conditions necessary for a
hypothesized "methane-based" life. One key finding comes from a
paper online now in the journal Icarus that shows hydrogen molecules
flowing down through Titan's atmosphere and disappearing at the surface.
Another paper online now in the Journal of Geophysical Research maps
hydrocarbons on the Titan surface and finds a lack of acetylene. For the
full details of this release link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsreleases/newsrelease20100603/.
Friday, June 4 (DOY 155)
Having been closed on June 2 for dust hazard avoidance, the main
engine cover was reopened today, completing the 60th in-flight cycle of
the cover.
Saturday, June 5 (DOY 156)
Today Cassini flew by Titan at an altitude of 2,044 km, and a speed
of 5.9 km/sec. Closest approach occurred at approximately 02:26 SCET ? or
June 4, 8:43 pm Pacific Time - and latitude 87 degrees N. During the T-69
flyby the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) was prime at
closest approach and observed the northern lake region. A mosaic of
Kraken Mare may be obtained if the north polar hood, which recently
vanished, does not reappear before the flyby. A mosaic of an area north
of Adiri was obtained at a resolution of 10 kilometers per
pixel.
RADAR performed radiometry and scatterometry observations over Titan. The
Magnetometer explored the edge of the north lobe of Titan's magnetic
tail. The Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument measured the energetic ion
and electron energy input to the atmosphere of Titan, giving good
opportunities for measurement of energetic neutral atoms. The Radio and
Plasma Wave Science instrument measured thermal plasmas in Titan's
ionosphere and surrounding environment, searched for lightning in Titan's
atmosphere, and investigated the interaction of Titan with Saturn's
magnetosphere.
Imaging Science (ISS) acquired a full-disk mosaic of northwestern Adiri
and rode along with VIMS during and after closest-approach to observe
parts of Titan's anti-Saturnian hemisphere from the north pole to the
equator. ISS also rode along with VIMS to track clouds and will continue
to monitor clouds and their evolution for an extra two days after the
Titan encounter. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) continued
mapping seasonal temperature and composition effects. The Ultraviolet
Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) obtained an image cube of Titan's atmosphere
at extreme and far ultraviolet wavelengths by sweeping its slit across
the disk. These cubes provide spectral and spatial information on
nitrogen emissions, H emission and absorption, absorption by simple
hydrocarbons, and the scattering properties of haze aerosols. This is one
of many such cubes gathered over the course of the mission to provide
latitude and seasonal coverage of Titan's middle atmosphere and
stratosphere. The Titan 69 flyby page is located at:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/flybys/titan20100605/.
Monday, June 7 (DOY 158)
Over the last three days Radio Science performed operations readiness
tests in preparation for Saturn occultation observations on Jun.
18.
Following a very accurate Titan flyby last Friday, the cost of cancelling
Orbit Trim Maneuver (OTM) #251 and making the entire Titan 70 correction
at OTM-252 is only 29 mm/sec. As a result, OTM-251, scheduled for
execution today, has been cancelled and the working meetings for OTM-252
moved earlier by one day. An early uplink for that maneuver is also being
considered.
A week-long series of presentations and discussions at the 51st meeting
of the Cassini Project Science Group begins today. With the start of the
Solstice Mission right around the corner, topics will focus on the
transition between missions.
Files for the third and final input port for S63 were delivered as part
of the Science Operations Plan (SOP) process. The products will be handed
off to Uplink Operations on June 17 to be used in final sequence
development. S63 is the last sequence in the Equinox Mission, and the
last to use the SOP process.
Titan Working Team and Orbiter Science Team integrated products for S65,
covering orbits 141 through 143 in November 2010 through January 2011,
were delivered today. The integrated products are in their final form and
no re-integration is planned. The Sequence Implementation Process ? a new
process developed for XXM where the old Science Operations Plan and
Science and Sequence Update processes have been streamlined and combined
? will kick off on July 8. At this time instrument teams are working on
the pointing designs for this sequence.
Tuesday, June 8 (DOY 159)
In addition to Titan observations, science this week included a
number of CIRS equinox baseline observations. ISS, CIRS and VIMS took
data for a rings movie and jointly observed Pandora during a relatively
close fly-by at an altitude of 97,166 km. VIMS observed a rings
occultation of the star Omicron Seti (Mira). ISS performed a propeller
search in the A-Ring and all four Optical Remote Sensing Instruments
observed Rhea during another nontargeted flyby.
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