CassiniHuygens

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CassiniHuygensisanunmannedspacecraftsenttotheplanet
Saturn.ItisaflagshipclassNASAESAASIroboticspacecraft.[3]
CassiniisthefourthspaceprobetovisitSaturnandthefirsttoenter
orbit,anditsmissionisongoingasof2016.Ithasstudiedtheplanet
anditsmanynaturalsatellitessincearrivingtherein2004.[4]

CassiniHuygens

Developmentstartedinthe1980s.ItsdesignincludesaSaturnorbiter
andalanderforthemoonTitan.Thelander,calledHuygens,landed
onTitanin2005.Thetwopartspacecraftisnamedafterastronomers
GiovanniCassiniandChristiaanHuygens.
ThespacecraftlaunchedonOctober15,1997aboardaTitan
IVB/CentaurandenteredorbitaroundSaturnonJuly1,2004,after
aninterplanetaryvoyagethatincludedflybysofEarth,Venus,and
Jupiter.OnDecember25,2004,Huygensseparatedfromtheorbiter
andreachedSaturn'smoonTitanonJanuary14,2005.Itentered
Titan'satmosphereanddescendedtothesurface.Itsuccessfully
returneddatatoEarth,usingtheorbiterasarelay.Thiswasthefirst
landingeveraccomplishedintheouterSolarSystem.

Artist'sconceptofCassini'sorbitinsertionaroundSaturn
Mission
type
Operator

Cassini:Saturnorbiter
Huygens:Titanlander
NASA/JPL/ESA/ASI
ASI
(http://www.asi.it/en/activity/solar_system/cassinihuygens)
ESA(http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini
Huygens/index.html)
NASA(http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/)

Contents
1 Overview
2 Naming
3 Objectives
3.1 Itinerary
4 History

COSPAR 1997061A
ID
SATCAT

25008

Mission

Elapsed:

4 History

duration

11years,8monthsand3daysatSaturn

5 Spacecraftdesign

Enroute:7years
Primarymission:4years
Extendedmissions:
Equinox:2years

6 Instruments
6.1 Summary
6.2 List

Solstice:3yearselapsed
Expectedendoflife:2017

7 Plutoniumpowersource
8 Telemetry
9 Huygensprobe

18years,8monthsand3daysfromlaunch

Spacecraftproperties
Drymass

2,523kilograms(5,562lb)[1]

Power

~880watts(BOL)[2]

10 Selectedeventsanddiscoveries

~670watts(2010)[2]
Startofmission

10.1 VenusandEarthflybysandthecruisetoJupiter
10.2 Jupiterflyby

Launch
date

October15,1997,08:43:00UTC

10.3 Testsofgeneralrelativity

Rocket

TitanIV(401)B

10.4 NewmoonsofSaturn

Launch
site

CapeCanaveralSLC40

10.5 Phoebeflyby
10.6 Saturnrotation

Orbitalparameters
Reference Kronocentric
system

10.7 OrbitingSaturn
10.8 Titanflybys
10.9 HuygenslandsonTitan
10.10 Enceladusflybys
10.11 RadiooccultationsofSaturn'srings

FlybyofVenus (Gravityassist)
Closest
approach

April26,1998
FlybyofVenus (Gravityassist)

Closest
approach

June24,1999

10.11 RadiooccultationsofSaturn'srings
10.12 Spokephenomenonverified
10.13 LakesofTitan

FlybyofEarthMoonsystem (Gravityassist)
Closest
approach

Flybyof2685Masursky (Incidental)

10.14 Saturnhurricane
10.15 Iapetusflyby

August18,1999,03:28UTC

Closest
approach

January23,2000
FlybyofJupiter (Gravityassist)

10.16 Missionextension
10.17 GreatStormof2010andaftermath

Closest
approach

December30,2000
Saturnorbiter

10.18 Venustransit
10.19 "TheDaytheEarthSmiled"

Orbital
insertion

July1,2004,02:48:00UTC
Titanlander

10.20 Rheaflyby
10.21 Hyperionflyby
10.22 Dioneflyby
10.23 Spacecraftdisposal
11 Glossary
12 Seealso
13 References
14 Furtherreading
15 Externallinks

Spacecraft Huygens
component
Landing
date

January14,2005

Overview
SixteenEuropeancountriesandtheUnitedStatesmakeuptheteamresponsiblefordesigning,building,flyingandcollectingdatafromthe
CassiniorbiterandHuygensprobe.ThemissionismanagedbyNASA'sJetPropulsionLaboratoryintheUnitedStates,wheretheorbiterwas
assembled.HuygenswasdevelopedbytheEuropeanSpaceResearchandTechnologyCentre.TheCentre'sprimecontractor,Arospatialeof
France(nowThalesAleniaSpace),assembledtheprobewithequipmentandinstrumentssuppliedbymanyEuropeancountries(Huygens'
batteriesandtwoscientificinstrumentsbytheUnitedStates).TheItalianSpaceAgency(ASI)providedtheCassiniorbiter'shighgainradio
antenna,withtheincorporationofalowgainantenna(thatensuretelecommunicationswiththeEarthfortheentiredurationofthemission),a
compactandlightweightradar,whichalsousesthehighgainantennaandservesasasyntheticapertureradar,aradaraltimeter,aradiometer,
theradiosciencesubsystem(RSS),thevisiblechannelportionVIMSVofVIMSspectrometer.[5]TheVIMSinfraredcounterpartwas
providedbyNASA,aswellasMainElectronicAssembly,whichincludeselectronicsubassembliesprovidedbyCNESofFrance.[6][7]
OnApril16,2008,NASAannouncedatwoyearextensionofthefundingforgroundoperationsofthismission,atwhichpointitwasrenamed
totheCassiniEquinoxMission.[8]ThiswasagainextendedinFebruary2010withtheCassiniSolsticeMission.

Naming
Itconsistsoftwomainelements:theASI/NASACassiniorbiter,namedfortheItalianFrenchastronomerGiovanni
DomenicoCassini,discovererofSaturn'sringdivisionsandfourofitssatellitesandtheESAdevelopedHuygensprobe,
namedfortheDutchastronomer,mathematicianandphysicistChristiaanHuygens,discovererofTitan.Themissionwas
commonlycalledSaturnOrbiterTitanProbe(SOTP)duringgestation,bothasaMarinerMarkIImissionandgenerically.
CassiniHuygensisaflagshipclassmissiontotheouterplanets.[3]TheotherplanetaryflagshipsincludeGalileo,Voyager,
andViking.[3]

Objectives
Cassinihasseveralobjectives,including:[9]
DeterminethethreedimensionalstructureanddynamicbehavioroftheringsofSaturn.
Determinethecompositionofthesatellitesurfacesandthegeologicalhistoryofeachobject.
DeterminethenatureandoriginofthedarkmaterialonIapetus'sleadinghemisphere.
Measurethethreedimensionalstructureanddynamicbehaviorofthemagnetosphere.
StudythedynamicbehaviorofSaturn'satmosphereatcloudlevel.

Huygens'
explanationfor
theaspectsof
Saturn,Systema
Saturnium,1659

StudythetimevariabilityofTitan'scloudsandhazes.
CharacterizeTitan'ssurfaceonaregionalscale.
CassiniHuygenswaslaunchedonOctober15,1997,fromCapeCanaveralAirForceStation'sSpaceLaunchComplex40usingaU.S.Air
ForceTitanIVB/Centaurrocket.ThecompletelauncherwasmadeupofatwostageTitanIVboosterrocket,twostraponsolidrocketmotors,
theCentaurupperstage,andapayloadenclosure,orfairing.
ThetotalcostofthisscientificexplorationmissionisaboutUS$3.26billion,including$1.4billionforprelaunchdevelopment,$704million
formissionoperations,$54millionfortrackingand$422millionforthelaunchvehicle.TheUnitedStatescontributed$2.6billion(80%),the
ESA$500million(15%),andtheASI$160million(5%).[10]
TheprimarymissionforCassiniwascompletedonJuly30,2008.ThemissionwasextendedtoJune
2010(CassiniEquinoxMission).[11]ThisstudiedtheSaturnsystemindetailduringtheplanet's
equinox,whichhappenedinAugust2009.[8]
OnFebruary3,2010,NASAannouncedanotherextensionforCassini,lasting6yearsuntil2017,
endingatthetimeofsummersolsticeinSaturn'snorthernhemisphere(CassiniSolsticeMission).The
extensionenablesanother155revolutionsaroundtheplanet,54flybysofTitanand11flybysof
Enceladus.[12]In2017,anencounterwithTitanwillchangeitsorbitinsuchawaythat,atclosest
approachtoSaturn,itwillbeonly3,000kmabovetheplanet'scloudtops,belowtheinneredgeoftheD
ring.Thissequenceof"proximalorbits"willendwhenanotherencounterwithTitansendstheprobe
intoSaturn'satmosphere.

Itinerary

Saturn'snorthside(2014)

Selecteddestinations(orderedbysizebutnottoscale)

Titan

Earth'sMoon

Rhea

Iapetus

Dione

Tethys

Enceladusplumes

Mimas

Hyperion

Phoebe

Janus

Epimetheus

Prometheus

Pandora

Helene

Atlas

Telesto

Calypso

Methone

History
CassiniHuygens'soriginsdateto1982,whentheEuropeanScienceFoundationandtheAmericanNationalAcademyofSciencesformeda
workinggrouptoinvestigatefuturecooperativemissions.TwoEuropeanscientistssuggestedapairedSaturnOrbiterandTitanProbeasa
possiblejointmission.In1983,NASA'sSolarSystemExplorationCommitteerecommendedthesameOrbiterandProbepairasacoreNASA
project.NASAandtheEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)performedajointstudyofthepotentialmissionfrom1984to1985.ESAcontinued
withitsownstudyin1986,whiletheAmericanastronautSallyRide,inherinfluential1987report"NASALeadershipandAmerica'sFuturein
Space",alsoexaminedandapprovedoftheCassinimission.
WhileRide'sreportdescribedtheSaturnorbiterandprobeasaNASAsolomission,in1988theAssociateAdministratorforSpaceScience
andApplicationsofNASALenFiskreturnedtotheideaofajointNASAandESAmission.HewrotetohiscounterpartatESA,Roger
Bonnet,stronglysuggestingthatESAchoosetheCassinimissionfromthethreecandidatesathandandpromisingthatNASAwouldcommit

tothemissionassoonasESAdid.
Atthetime,NASAwasbecomingmoresensitivetothestrainthathaddevelopedbetweenthe
AmericanandEuropeanspaceprogramsasaresultofEuropeanperceptionsthatNASAhadnottreated
itlikeanequalduringpreviouscollaborations.NASAofficialsandadvisersinvolvedinpromotingand
planningCassiniHuygensattemptedtocorrectthistrendbystressingtheirdesiretoevenlyshareany
scientificandtechnologybenefitsresultingfromthemission.Inpart,thisnewfoundspiritof
cooperationwithEuropewasdrivenbyasenseofcompetitionwiththeSovietUnion,whichhadbegun
tocooperatemorecloselywithEuropeasESAdrewfurtherawayfromNASA.
Thecollaborationnotonlyimprovedrelationsbetweenthetwospaceprogramsbutalsohelped
CassiniHuygenssurvivecongressionalbudgetcutsintheUnitedStates.CassiniHuygenscameunder
firepoliticallyinboth1992and1994,butNASAsuccessfullypersuadedtheU.S.Congressthatit
wouldbeunwisetohalttheprojectafterESAhadalreadypouredfundsintodevelopmentbecause
frustrationonbrokenspaceexplorationpromisesmightspilloverintootherareasofforeignrelations.
Theprojectproceededpoliticallysmoothlyafter1994,althoughcitizens'groupsconcernedaboutits
potentialenvironmentalimpactattemptedtoderailitthroughprotestsandlawsuitsuntilandpastits
1997launch.[13][14][15][16][17]

Spacecraftdesign

CassiniHuygensonthelaunchpad

Thespacecraftwasplannedtobethesecondthreeaxisstabilized,RTGpoweredMarinerMarkII,aclassofspacecraftdevelopedformissions
beyondtheorbitofMars.
CassiniwasdevelopedsimultaneouslywiththeCometRendezvousAsteroidFlyby(CRAF)spacecraft,butbudgetcutsandprojectrescopings
forcedNASAtoterminateCRAFdevelopmenttosaveCassini.Asaresult,Cassinibecamemorespecialized.TheMarinerMarkIIserieswas
cancelled.
Includingtheorbiterandprobe,itisthesecondlargestunmannedinterplanetaryspacecraftbuilt,[18][19]aswellasbeingamongthemost
complex.[18]Theorbiterhasamassof2,150kg(4,740lb),theprobe350kg(770lb).Withthelaunchvehicleadapterand3,132kg(6,905lb)
ofpropellantsatlaunch,thespacecrafthadamassof5,600kg(12,300lb).OnlythetwoPhobos1and2spacecraftsenttoMarsbytheSoviet
Unionwerelarger.
TheCassinispacecraftis6.8meters(22ft)highand4meters(13ft)wide.Spacecraftcomplexityisincreasedbyitstrajectory(flightpath)to
Saturn,andbytheambitiousscienceatitsdestination.Cassinihas1,630interconnectedelectroniccomponents,22,000wireconnections,and
14kilometers(8.7mi)ofcabling.ThecorecontrolcomputerCPUwasaredundantMILSTD1750Acontrolsystem.

Cassiniispoweredby32.7kg[20]ofplutonium238theheatfromthematerial'sradioactivedecayis
turnedintoelectricity.HuygenswassupportedbyCassiniduringcruise,butusedchemicalbatteries
whenindependent.
AtpresenttheCassiniprobeisorbitingSaturn,atadistanceof8.2and10.2astronomicalunitsfromthe
Earth.Ittakes68to84minutesforradiosignalstotravelfromEarthtothespacecraft,andviceversa.
Thusgroundcontrollerscannotgive"realtime"instructionsfordailyoperationsorforunexpected
events.Evenifresponsewasimmediate,atleasttwohourspassbetweentheoccurrenceofaproblem
andthereceptionoftheengineers'responsebythesatellite.

Instruments
Summary
Instruments:[22]
OpticalRemoteSensing("Locatedonontheremotesensingpallet")[22]
CompositeInfraredSpectrometer(CIRS)
ImagingScienceSubsystem(ISS)
UltravioletImagingSpectrograph(UVIS)
VisibleandInfraredMappingSpectrometer(VIMS)
Fields,ParticlesandWaves
CassiniPlasmaSpectrometer(CAPS)
CosmicDustAnalyzer(CDA)
IonandNeutralMassSpectrometer(INMS)
Magnetometer(MAG)
MagnetosphericImagingInstrument(MIMI)
RadioandPlasmaWaveScience(RPWS)
MicrowaveRemoteSensing
Radar
RadioScience(RSS)

List

CassiniHuygensassembly

Titan'ssurfacerevealedbyVIMS

Cassini'sinstrumentationconsistsof:asyntheticapertureradarmapper,achargecoupleddevice
imagingsystem,avisible/infraredmappingspectrometer,acompositeinfraredspectrometer,acosmic
dustanalyzer,aradioandplasmawaveexperiment,aplasmaspectrometer,anultravioletimaging
spectrograph,amagnetosphericimaginginstrument,amagnetometerandanion/neutralmass
spectrometer.Telemetryfromthecommunicationsantennaandotherspecialtransmitters(anSband
transmitterandadualfrequencyKabandsystem)willalsobeusedtomakeobservationsofthe
atmospheresofTitanandSaturnandtomeasurethegravityfieldsoftheplanetanditssatellites.
CassiniPlasmaSpectrometer(CAPS)
TheCAPSisadirectsensinginstrumentthatmeasurestheenergyandelectricalchargeof
particlesthattheinstrumentencounters(thenumberofelectronsandprotonsintheparticle).
CAPSwillmeasurethemoleculesoriginatingfromSaturn'sionosphereandalsodeterminethe
configurationofSaturn'smagneticfield.CAPSwillalsoinvestigateplasmaintheseareasaswell
RheainfrontofSaturn
asthesolarwindwithinSaturn'smagnetosphere.[23][24]CAPSwasturnedoffJune2011duetoan
electricalshortcircuitthatoccurredintheinstrument.TheinstrumentwaspoweredoninMarch
2012after78daysasecondshortcircuitforcedtheinstrumenttobeagainshutdown.[25]
CosmicDustAnalyzer(CDA)
TheCDAisadirectsensinginstrumentthatmeasuresthesize,speed,anddirectionoftinydust
grainsnearSaturn.SomeoftheseparticlesareorbitingSaturn,whileothersmaycomefrom
otherstarsystems.TheCDAontheorbiterisdesignedtolearnmoreabouttheseparticles,the
materialsinothercelestialbodiesandpotentiallyabouttheoriginsoftheuniverse.[23]
CompositeInfraredSpectrometer(CIRS)
TheCIRSisaremotesensinginstrumentthatmeasurestheinfraredwavescomingfromobjects
tolearnabouttheirtemperatures,thermalproperties,andcompositions.ThroughouttheCassini
Huygensmission,theCIRSwillmeasureinfraredemissionsfromatmospheres,ringsand
surfacesinthevastSaturnsystem.ItwillmaptheatmosphereofSaturninthreedimensionsto
determinetemperatureandpressureprofileswithaltitude,gascomposition,andthedistribution
ofaerosolsandclouds.Itwillalsomeasurethermalcharacteristicsandthecompositionof
Saturn'snorthpolarhexagon[21]
satellitesurfacesandrings.[23]
IonandNeutralMassSpectrometer(INMS)
TheINMSisadirectsensinginstrumentthatanalyzeschargedparticles(likeprotonsandheavierions)andneutralparticles(likeatoms)
nearTitanandSaturntolearnmoreabouttheiratmospheres.INMSisintendedalsotomeasurethepositiveionandneutral
environmentsofSaturn'sicysatellitesandrings.[23][26][27]
ImagingScienceSubsystem(ISS)
TheISSisaremotesensinginstrumentthatcapturesmostimagesinvisiblelight,andalsosomeinfraredimagesandultravioletimages.
TheISShastakenhundredsofthousandsofimagesofSaturn,itsrings,anditsmoons.TheISShasawideanglecamera(WAC)that
takespicturesoflargeareas,andanarrowanglecamera(NAC)thattakespicturesofsmallareasinfinedetail.Eachofthesecameras

usesasensitivechargecoupleddevice(CCD)asitselectromagneticwavedetector.EachCCD
hasa1,024squarearrayofpixels,12monaside.Bothcamerasallowformanydatacollection
modes,includingonchipdatacompression.Bothcamerasarefittedwithspectralfiltersthat
rotateonawheeltoviewdifferentbandswithintheelectromagneticspectrumrangingfrom0.2
to1.1m.[23][28]
DualTechniqueMagnetometer(MAG)
TheMAGisadirectsensinginstrumentthatmeasuresthestrengthanddirectionofthemagnetic
fieldaroundSaturn.ThemagneticfieldsaregeneratedpartlybythemoltencoreatSaturn's
center.Measuringthemagneticfieldisoneofthewaystoprobethecore.MAGaimstodevelop
athreedimensionalmodelofSaturn'smagnetosphere,anddeterminethemagneticstateofTitan
Animated3Dmodelofthespacecraft
anditsatmosphere,andtheicysatellitesandtheirroleinthemagnetosphereofSaturn.[23][29]
MagnetosphericImagingInstrument(MIMI)
TheMIMIisbothadirectandremotesensinginstrumentthatproducesimagesandotherdataabouttheparticlestrappedinSaturn's
hugemagneticfield,ormagnetosphere.Thisinformationwillbeusedtostudytheoverallconfigurationanddynamicsofthe
magnetosphereanditsinteractionswiththesolarwind,Saturn'satmosphere,Titan,rings,andicysatellites.[23][30]MIMIincludestheIon
andNeutralCamera(INCA),whichcapturesandmeasuresEnergeticNeutralAtoms(ENAs).[31]
Radar
TheonboardradarisanactiveandpassivesensinginstrumentthathasproducedmapsofTitan'ssurface.Theactiveradarcansend
radarwavesabletopenetratethethickveilofhazesurroundingTitan.Bymeasuringthesendandreturntimeofthesignalsitispossible
todeterminetheheightoflargesurfacefeatures,suchasmountainsandcanyons.ThepassiveradarlistensforradiowavesthatSaturnor
itsmoonsmayemit.[23]
RadioandPlasmaWaveScienceinstrument(RPWS)
TheRPWSisadirectandremotesensinginstrumentthatreceivesandmeasuresradiosignalscomingfromSaturn,includingtheradio
wavesgivenoffbytheinteractionofthesolarwindwithSaturnandTitan.RPWSmeasurestheelectricandmagneticwavefieldsinthe
interplanetarymediumandplanetarymagnetospheres.ItalsodeterminestheelectrondensityandtemperaturenearTitanandinsome
regionsofSaturn'smagnetosphere.RPWSstudiestheconfigurationofSaturn'smagneticfieldanditsrelationshiptoSaturnKilometric
Radiation(SKR),aswellasmonitoringandmappingSaturn'sionosphere,plasma,andlightningfromSaturn's(andpossiblyTitan's)
atmosphere.[23]
RadioScienceSubsystem(RSS)
TheRSSisaremotesensinginstrumentthatusesradioantennasonEarthtoobservethewayradiosignalsfromthespacecraftchangeas
theyaresentthroughobjects,suchasTitan'satmosphereorSaturn'srings,orevenbehindtheSun.TheRSSalsostudiesthe
compositions,pressuresandtemperaturesofatmospheresandionospheres,radialstructureandparticlesizedistributionwithinrings,
bodyandsystemmassesandgravitationalwaves.TheinstrumentusesthespacecraftXbandcommunicationlinkaswellasSband
downlinkandKabanduplinkanddownlink.[23]
UltravioletImagingSpectrograph(UVIS)
TheUVISisaremotesensinginstrumentthatcapturesimagesoftheultravioletlightreflectedoffanobject,suchasthecloudsofSaturn

and/oritsrings,tolearnmoreabouttheirstructureandcomposition.Designedtomeasure
ultravioletlightoverwavelengthsfrom55.8to190nm,thisinstrumentisalsoatooltohelp
determinethecomposition,distribution,aerosolparticlecontentandtemperaturesoftheir
atmospheres.Unlikeothertypesofspectrometer,thissensitiveinstrumentcantakebothspectral
andspatialreadings.Itisparticularlyadeptatdeterminingthecompositionofgases.Spatial
observationstakeawidebynarrowview,onlyonepixeltalland64pixelsacross.Thespectral
dimensionis1,024pixelsperspatialpixel.Also,itcantakemanyimagesthatcreatemoviesof
thewaysinwhichthismaterialismovedaroundbyotherforces.[23]
VisibleandInfraredMappingSpectrometer(VIMS)
TheVIMSisaremotesensinginstrumentthatcapturesimagesusingvisibleandinfraredlightto
learnmoreaboutthecompositionofmoonsurfaces,therings,andtheatmospheresofSaturnand
Titan.Itismadeupoftwocamerasinone:oneusedtomeasurevisiblelight,theotherinfrared.
VIMSmeasuresreflectedandemittedradiationfromatmospheres,ringsandsurfacesover
wavelengthsfrom350to5100nm,tohelpdeterminetheircompositions,temperaturesand
structures.Italsoobservesthesunlightandstarlightthatpassesthroughtheringstolearnmore
abouttheirstructure.ScientistsplantouseVIMSforlongtermstudiesofcloudmovementand
morphologyintheSaturnsystem,todetermineSaturn'sweatherpatterns.[23]

VIMSspectratakenwhilelooking
throughTitan'satmospheretowards
theSunhelpsunderstandthe
atmospheresofexoplanets(artist's
conceptMay27,2014).

Plutoniumpowersource
BecauseofSaturn'sdistancefromtheSun,solararrayswerenotfeasibleaspowersourcesforthisspaceprobe.[32]Togenerateenoughpower,
sucharrayswouldhavebeentoolargeandtooheavy.[32]Instead,theCassiniorbiterispoweredbythreeradioisotopethermoelectric
generators(RTGs),whichuseheatfromthenaturaldecayofabout33kg(73lb)ofplutonium238(intheformofplutoniumdioxide)to
generatedirectcurrentelectricityviathermoelectrics.[32]TheRTGsontheCassinimissionhavethesamedesignasthoseusedontheNew
Horizons,Galileo,andUlyssesspaceprobes,andtheyweredesignedtohaveverylongoperationallifetimes.[32]Attheendofthenominal11
yearCassinimission,theywillstillbeabletoproduce600to700wattsofelectricalpower.[32](OneofthespareRTGsfortheCassinimission
wasusedtopowertheNewHorizonsmissiontoPlutoandtheKuiperbelt,whichwasdesignedandlaunchedlateron.)
Togainmomentumwhilealreadyinflight,thetrajectoryoftheCassinimissionincludedseveralgravitationalslingshotmaneuvers:twoflyby
passesofVenus,onemoreoftheEarth,andthenoneoftheplanetJupiter.TheterrestrialflybywasthefinalinstancewhentheCassinispace
probeposedanyconceivabledangertohumanbeings.Themaneuverwassuccessful,withCassinipassingby1,171km(728mi)abovethe
EarthonAugust18,1999.[33]HadtherebeenanymalfunctioncausingtheCassinispaceprobetocollidewiththeEarth,NASA'scomplete
environmentalimpactstudyestimatedthat,intheworstcase(withanacuteangleofentryinwhichCassiniwouldgraduallyburnup),a
significantfractionofthe33kg[20]ofplutonium238insidetheRTGswouldhavebeendispersedintotheEarth'satmospheresothatuptofive
billionpeople(i.e.almosttheentireterrestrialpopulation)couldhavebeenexposed,causinguptoanestimated5,000additionalcancer

deaths[34](0.0005percent,i.e.afraction0.000005,of1billion
cancerdeathsexpectedanywayfromothercausestheproduct
isincorrectlycalculatedelsewhere[35]as500,000deaths),but
thechanceofthathappeningwerelessthanoneinone
million.[34]

Telemetry
Aglowinghotplutoniumpelletthat
isthepowersourceoftheprobes
radioisotopethermoelectricgenerator

TheCassinispacecraftiscapableoftransmittinginseveral
differenttelemetryformats.Thetelemetrysubsystemisperhaps
themostimportantsubsystem,becausewithoutittherecouldbe
nodatareturn.

Thetelemetrywasdevelopedfromgroundup,duetothe
spacecraftusingamoremodernsetofcomputersthanpreviousmissions.[36]Therefore,Cassiniwasthe
firstspacecrafttoadoptminipacketstoreducethecomplexityoftheTelemetryDictionary,andthe
softwaredevelopmentprocessledtothecreationofaTelemetryManagerforthemission.

ACassiniRTGbeforeinstallation

Therearecurrentlyaround1088channels(in67minipackets)assembledintheCassiniTelemetry
Dictionary.Outofthese67lowercomplexityminipackets,6minipacketscontainedthesubsystem
covarianceandKalmangainelements(161measurements),notusedduringnormalmissionoperations.Thisleft947measurementsin61
minipackets.
Atotalofseventelemetrymapscorrespondingto7AACStelemetrymodeswereconstructed.Thesemodesare:(1)Record(2)Nominal
Cruise(3)MediumSlowCruise(4)SlowCruise(5)OrbitalOps(6)Av(7)ATE(AttitudeEstimator)Calibration.These7mapscoverall
spacecrafttelemetrymodes.

Huygensprobe
TheHuygensprobe,suppliedbytheEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)andnamedafterthe17thcenturyDutchastronomerwhofirstdiscovered
Titan,ChristiaanHuygens,scrutinizedtheclouds,atmosphere,andsurfaceofSaturn'smoonTitaninitsdescentonJanuary15,2005.Itwas
designedtoenterandbrakeinTitan'satmosphereandparachuteafullyinstrumentedroboticlaboratorydowntothesurface.[37]

TheprobesystemconsistedoftheprobeitselfwhichdescendedtoTitan,andtheprobesupport
equipment(PSE)whichremainedattachedtotheorbitingspacecraft.ThePSEincludeselectronics
thattracktheprobe,recoverthedatagatheredduringitsdescent,andprocessanddeliverthedatato
theorbiterthattransmitsittoEarth.ThecorecontrolcomputerCPUwasaredundantMILSTD
1750Acontrolsystem.
ThedataweretransmittedbyaradiolinkbetweenHuygensandCassiniprovidedbyProbeData
RelaySubsystem(PDRS).Astheprobe'smissioncouldnotbetelecommandedfromEarthbecause
ofthegreatdistance,itwasautomaticallymanagedbytheCommandDataManagementSubsystem
(CDMS).ThePDRSandCDMSwereprovidedbytheItalianSpaceAgency(ASI).

Huygensviewof
Titan'ssurface

Samewithdifferent
dataprocessing

Selectedeventsanddiscoveries
VenusandEarthflybysandthecruisetoJupiter
TheCassinispaceprobeperformedtwogravitationalassistflybysofVenusonApril26,1998,and
June24,1999.Theseflybysprovidedthespaceprobewithenoughmomentumtotravelallthewayout
totheasteroidbelt.Atthatpoint,theSun'sgravitypulledthespaceprobebackintotheinnerSolar
System.
OnAugust18,1999,at03:28UTC,thecraftmadeagravitationalassistflybyoftheEarth.Onehour
and20minutesbeforeclosestapproach,CassinimadeitsclosestapproachtotheEarth'sMoonat
377,000kilometers,andittookaseriesofcalibrationphotos.
OnJan23,2000,Cassiniperformedaflybyoftheasteroid2685Masurskyataround10:00UTC.It
tookphotos[38]intheperiodfivetosevenhoursbeforetheflybyatadistanceof1.6millionkilometers,
andadiameterof15to20kmwasestimatedfortheasteroid.
PictureoftheMoonduringflyby

Jupiterflyby

CassinimadeitsclosestapproachtoJupiteronDecember30,2000,andmademanyscientific
measurements.About26,000imagesofJupiter,itsfaintrings,anditsmoonsweretakenduringthesix
monthflyby.Itproducedthemostdetailedglobalcolorportraitoftheplanetyet(seeimageatright),in
whichthesmallestvisiblefeaturesareapproximately60km(37mi)across.[39]
Amajorfindingoftheflyby,announcedonMarch6,2003,was
ofJupiter'satmosphericcirculation.Dark"belts"alternatewith
light"zones"intheatmosphere,andscientistshadlong
consideredthezones,withtheirpaleclouds,tobeareasof
upwellingair,partlybecausemanycloudsonEarthformwhere
airisrising.ButanalysisofCassiniimageryshowedthat
individualstormcellsofupwellingbrightwhiteclouds,too
smalltoseefromEarth,popupalmostwithoutexceptioninthe
darkbelts.AccordingtoAnthonyDelGenioofNASA's
GoddardInstituteforSpaceStudies,"thebeltsmustbetheareas
ofnetrisingatmosphericmotiononJupiter,[so]thenetmotion
inthezoneshastobesinking."
CassiniphotographedIotransiting
JupiteronJanuary1,2001.

Otheratmosphericobservationsincludedaswirlingdarkovalof
AJupiterflybypicture
highatmospherichaze,aboutthesizeoftheGreatRedSpot,
nearJupiter'snorthpole.Infraredimageryrevealedaspectsof
circulationnearthepoles,withbandsofglobeencirclingwinds,withadjacentbandsmovinginoppositedirections.
ThesameannouncementalsodiscussedthenatureofJupiter'srings.Lightscatteringbyparticlesintheringsshowedtheparticleswere
irregularlyshaped(ratherthanspherical)andlikelyoriginateasejectafrommicrometeoriteimpactsonJupiter'smoons,probablyMetisand
Adrastea.

Testsofgeneralrelativity
OnOctober10,2003,themission'sscienceteamannouncedtheresultsoftestsofEinstein'sgeneraltheoryofrelativity,performedbyusing
radiowavestransmittedfromtheCassinispaceprobe.[40]Theradioscientistsmeasuredafrequencyshiftintheradiowavestoandfromthe
spacecraft,asthosepassedclosetotheSun.Accordingtothegeneraltheoryofrelativity,amassiveobjectliketheSuncausesspacetimeto
curve,causingandabeamofradiowaves(orlight,oranyformofelectromagneticradiation)thatpassesbytheSuntotravelfarther.

Althoughsomemeasurabledeviationsfromthevaluescalculatedusingthegeneraltheoryofrelativityarepredictedbysomeunusual
cosmologicalmodels,nosuchdeviationswerefoundbythisexperiment.PrevioustestsusingradiowavestransmittedbytheVikingand
VoyagerspaceprobeswereinagreementwiththecalculatedvaluesfromGeneralRelativitytowithinanaccuracyofonepartinonethousand.
ThemorerefinedmeasurementsfromtheCassinispaceprobeexperimentimprovedthisaccuracytoaboutonepartin51,000.[41]Thedata
firmlysupportsEinstein'sgeneraltheoryofrelativity.

NewmoonsofSaturn
UsingimagestakenbyCassini,threenewmoonsofSaturnwerediscoveredin2004.Theyarevery
smallandweregiventheprovisionalnamesS/2004S1,S/2004S2andS/2004S5beforebeing
namedMethone,PalleneandPolydeucesatthebeginningof2005.
OnMay1,2005,anewmoonwasdiscoveredbyCassiniinthe
Keelergap.ItwasgiventhedesignationS/2005S1before
beingnamedDaphnis.Theonlyotherthenknownmooninside
Saturn'sringsystemisPan.
AfifthnewmoonwasdiscoveredbyCassinionMay30,2007,
andwasprovisionallylabelledS/2007S4.Itisnowknownas
Anthe.

Discoveryphotographofmoon
Daphnis

ApressreleaseonFebruary3,2009showedasixthnewmoon
foundbyCassini.Themoonisapproximately1/3ofamilein
diameterwithintheGringoftheringsystemofSaturn,andis
nownamedAegaeon(formerlyS/2008S1).[42]

Thepossibleformationofanew
moonwascapturedonApril15,2013

ApressreleaseonNovember2,2009mentionstheseventhnewmoonfoundbyCassinionJuly26,2009.ItispresentlylabeledS/2009S1
andisapproximately300m(984ft.)indiameterintheBringsystem.[43]
OnApril14,2014,NASAscientistsreportedthepossiblebeginningofanewmoonintheARingoftheplanetSaturn.[44]

Phoebeflyby
OnJune11,2004,CassiniflewbythemoonPhoebe.ThiswasthefirstopportunityforcloseupstudiesofthismoonsincetheVoyager2's
1981flyby.ItalsowasCassini'sonlypossibleflybyforPhoebeduetothemechanicsoftheavailableorbitsaroundSaturn.[45]

ThefirstcloseupimageswerereceivedonJune12,2004,andmissionscientists
immediatelyrealizedthatthesurfaceofPhoebelooksdifferentfromasteroidsvisitedby
spacecraft.Partsoftheheavilycrateredsurfacelookverybrightinthosepictures,anditis
currentlybelievedthatalargeamountofwatericeexistsunderitsimmediatesurface.

Saturnrotation
InanannouncementonJune28,2004,Cassiniprogramscientistsdescribedthe
measurementoftherotationalperiodofSaturn.[46]Becausetherearenofixedfeatureson
thesurfacethatcanbeusedtoobtainthisperiod,therepetitionofradioemissionswas
used.ThesenewdataagreewiththelatestvaluesmeasuredfromEarth,andconstitutea
puzzletothescientists.Itturnsoutthattheradiorotationalperiodhaschangedsinceitwas
firstmeasuredin1980byVoyager1,andthatitisnow6minuteslonger.Thisdoesnot
indicateachangeintheoverallspinoftheplanet,butisthoughttobeduetomovementof
thesourceoftheradioemissionstoadifferentlatitude,atwhichtherotationrateis
different.

Cassiniarrival(left)anddeparturemosaicsof
Phoebe(2004)

OrbitingSaturn
OnJuly1,2004,thespacecraftflewthroughthegapbetweentheFandGringsand
achievedorbit,afterasevenyearvoyage.[47]ItisthefirstspacecrafttoeverorbitSaturn.

Saturnreachedequinoxin2008,shortlyafterthe
endoftheprimemission

TheSaturnOrbitalInsertion(SOI)maneuverperformedbyCassiniwascomplex,
requiringthecrafttoorientitsHighGainAntennaawayfromEarthandalongitsflight
path,toshielditsinstrumentsfromparticlesinSaturn'srings.Oncethecraftcrossedthe
ringplane,ithadtorotateagaintopointitsenginealongitsflightpath,andthentheengine
firedtodeceleratethecraftby622meterspersecond[48]toallowSaturntocaptureit.
CassiniwascapturedbySaturn'sgravityataround8:54pmPacificDaylightTimeonJune
30,2004.DuringthemaneuverCassinipassedwithin20,000km(12,000mi)ofSaturn's
cloudtops.

AlthoughitisinSaturnorbit,departurefromtheSaturnsystemwasevaluatedin2008duringendofmissionplanning.[49]

Titanflybys

CassinihaditsfirstflybyofSaturn'slargestmoon,Titan,onJuly2,2004,adayafterorbitinsertion,
whenitapproachedtowithin339,000km(211,000mi)ofTitan.Imagestakenthroughspecialfilters
(abletoseethroughthemoon'sglobalhaze)showedsouthpolarcloudsthoughttobecomposedof
methaneandsurfacefeatureswithwidelydifferingbrightness.OnOctober27,2004,thespacecraft
executedthefirstofthe45plannedcloseflybysofTitanwhenitpassedamere1,200kilometersabove
themoon.AlmostfourgigabitsofdatawerecollectedandtransmittedtoEarth,includingthefirstradar
imagesofthemoon'shazeenshroudedsurface.ItrevealedthesurfaceofTitan(atleastthearea
coveredbyradar)toberelativelylevel,withtopographyreachingnomorethanabout50metersin
altitude.Theflybyprovidedaremarkableincreaseinimagingresolutionoverpreviouscoverage.
Imageswithupto100timesbetterresolutionweretakenandaretypicalofresolutionsplannedfor
subsequentTitanflybys.

HuygenslandsonTitan

Titan'ssurfacewasimagedby
lookingthroughtheatmospherein
2004,butsomecloudsremainvisible

CassinireleasedtheHuygensprobeonDecember25,2004,bymeansofaspringandspiralrails
intendedtorotatetheprobeforgreaterstability.ItenteredtheatmosphereofTitanonJanuary14,2005,
andafteratwoandahalfhourdescentlandedonsolidground.AlthoughCassini
Externalimages
successfullyrelayed350ofthepicturesthatitreceivedfromHuygensofitsdescentand
landingsite,asoftwareerrorfailedtoturnononeoftheCassinireceiversandcausedthe
RawimagesfromtheHuygensprobedescenton
lossofanother350pictures.[50]
14January2005(37Pages)

Enceladusflybys

(http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/titanraw/index.htm)
ESA/NASA/JPL/U.ofArizona. (ESAhosting)

DuringthefirsttwocloseflybysofthemoonEnceladusin2005,Cassinidiscovereda
deflectioninthelocalmagneticfieldthatischaracteristicfortheexistenceofathinbutsignificantatmosphere.Othermeasurementsobtained
atthattimepointtoionizedwatervaporasitsmainconstituent.Cassinialsoobservedwatericegeyserseruptingfromthesouthpoleof
Enceladus,whichgivesmorecredibilitytotheideathatEnceladusissupplyingtheparticlesofSaturn'sEring.Missionscientistsbeganto
suspectthattheremaybepocketsofliquidwaternearthesurfaceofthemoonthatfueltheeruptions.[51]
OnMarch12,2008,CassinimadeacloseflybyofEnceladus,passingwithin50kmofthemoon'ssurface.[52]Thespacecraftpassedthrough
theplumesextendingfromitssoutherngeysers,detectingwater,carbondioxideandvarioushydrocarbonswithitsmassspectrometer,while
alsomappingsurfacefeaturesthatareatmuchhighertemperaturethantheirsurroundingswiththeinfraredspectrometer.[53]Cassiniwas
unabletocollectdatawithitscosmicdustanalyzerduetoanunknownsoftwaremalfunction.

OnNovember21,2009,CassinimadeitseighthflybyofEnceladus,[54]thistimewithadifferent
geometry,approachingwithin1,600kilometers(990mi)ofthesurface.TheCompositInfrared
Spectrograph(CIRS)instrumentproducedamapofthermalemissionsfromtheBaghdadSulcus'tiger
stripe'.Thedatareturnedhelpedcreateadetailedandhighresolutionmosaicimageofthesouthernpart
ofthemoon'sSaturnfacinghemisphere.
OnApril3,2014,nearlytenyearsafterCassinienteredSaturn'sorbit,NASAreportedevidenceofa
largesaltyinternaloceanofliquidwaterinEnceladus.Thepresenceofaninternalsaltyoceanin
contactwiththemoon'srockycore,placesEnceladus"amongthemostlikelyplacesintheSolar
Systemtohostalienmicrobiallife."[55][56][57]OnJune30,2014,NASAcelebratedtenyearsofCassini
exploringSaturnanditsmoons,highlightingthediscoveryofwateractivityonEnceladusamongother
findings.[58]
InSeptember2015,NASAannouncedthatgravitationalandimagingdatafromCassiniwereusedto
analyzethelibrationsofEnceladus'orbitanddeterminedthatthemoon'ssurfaceisnotrigidlyjoinedto
itscore,concludingthattheundergroundoceanmustthereforebeglobalinextent.[59]
OnOctober28,2015,CassiniperformedacloseflybyofEnceladus,comingwithin49km(30mi)of
thesurface,andpassingthroughtheicyplumeabovethesouthpole.[60]Imagesandotherdatafromthe
flybywillbereceivedwithin48hours.[60]

ViewofEnceladus'sEuropalike
surfacewiththeLabtaytSulci
fracturesatcenterandtheEbony
(left)andCufadorsaatlowerleft
imagedbyCassinionFebruary17,
2005
Wikinewshasrelated
news:Cassinidiscovers
organicmaterialon
Saturnmoon

RadiooccultationsofSaturn'srings
InMay2005,Cassinibeganaseriesofradiooccultationexperiments,tomeasurethesizedistributionofparticlesinSaturn'srings,and
measuretheatmosphereofSaturnitself.Foroverfourmonths,thecraftcompletedorbitsdesignedforthispurpose.Duringtheseexperiments,
itflewbehindtheringplaneofSaturn,asseenfromEarth,andtransmittedradiowavesthroughtheparticles.Theradiosignalsreceivedon
Earthwereanalyzed,forfrequency,phase,andpowershiftofthesignaltodeterminethestructureoftherings.

Upperimage:visiblecolormosaicofSaturn'sringstakenonDecember12,2004.Lowerimage:simulatedviewconstructedfromaradiooccultation
observationonMay3,2005.Colorinthelowerimagerepresentsringparticlesizes.

Spokephenomenonverified
InimagescapturedSeptember5,2005,CassinidetectedspokesinSaturn'srings,[61]previouslyseenonlybythevisualobserverStephen
JamesO'Mearain1977andthenconfirmedbytheVoyagerspaceprobesintheearly1980s.[62][63]

LakesofTitan
RadarimagesobtainedonJuly21,2006appeartoshowlakesofliquidhydrocarbon(suchasmethaneandethane)inTitan'snorthernlatitudes.
ThisisthefirstdiscoveryofcurrentlyexistinglakesanywherebesidesonEarth.Thelakesrangeinsizefromonetoonehundredkilometers
across.[64]OnMarch13,2007,theJetPropulsionLaboratoryannouncedthatitfoundstrongevidenceofseasofmethaneandethaneinthe
northernhemisphereofTitan.AtleastoneoftheseislargerthananyoftheGreatLakesinNorthAmerica.[65]

Saturnhurricane

TitanEvolvingfeatureinLigeiaMare(August
21,2014).

InNovember2006,scientistsdiscoveredastormat
thesouthpoleofSaturnwithadistincteyewall.
ThisischaracteristicofahurricaneonEarthand
hadneverbeenseenonanotherplanetbefore.
Unlikeaterrestrialhurricane,thestormappearsto
bestationaryatthepole.Thestormis8,000
kilometers(5,000mi)across,and70kilometers
(43mi)high,withwindsblowingat560kilometers
perhour(350mph).[66]

LigeiaMare,ontheleft,iscompared
atscaletoLakeSuperior.

Iapetusflyby
OnSeptember10,2007,Cassinicompleteditsflybyofthestrange,twotoned,walnutshapedmoon,
Iapetus.Imagesweretakenfrom1,000miles(1,600km)abovethesurface.Asitwassendingthe
imagesbacktoEarth,itwashitbyacosmicraythatforcedittotemporarilyentersafemode.Allofthe
datafromtheflybywasrecovered.[67]

Missionextension
OnApril15,2008,Cassinireceivedfundingforatwoyearextendedmission.Itconsistedof60more
TakenonSeptember10,2007ata
orbitsofSaturn,with21morecloseTitanflybys,sevenofEnceladus,sixofMimas,eightofTethys,
distanceof38,730.7miles(62,331
km)Iapetus'sequatorialridgeand
andonetargetedflybyeachofDione,Rhea,andHelene.[68]TheextendedmissionbeganonJuly1,
surfacearerevealed.(CL1andCL2
2008,andwasrenamedtheCassiniEquinoxMissionasthemissioncoincidedwithSaturn's
filters)
equinox.[69]AproposalwassubmittedtoNASAforasecondmissionextension,provisionallynamed
theextendedextendedmissionorXXM.[70]ThiswassubsequentlyapprovedandrenamedtheCassini
SolsticeMission.[71]ItincludesCassiniorbitingSaturn155moretimes,conducting54additionalflybysofTitanand11moreofEnceladus.

GreatStormof2010andaftermath
OnOctober25,2012,CassiniwitnessedtheaftermathofthemassiveGreatWhiteSpotstormthatrecursroughlyevery30yearsonSaturn.[72]
Datafromthecompositeinfraredspectrometer(CIRS)instrumentindicatedapowerfuldischargefromthestormthatcausedatemperature
spikeinthestratosphereofSaturn83K(83C149F)abovenormal.Simultaneously,ahugeincreaseinethylenegaswasdetectedbyNASA
researchersatGoddardResearchCenterinGreenbelt,Maryland.EthyleneisacolorlessgasthatishighlyuncommononSaturnandis
producedbothnaturallyandthroughmanmadesourcesonEarth.Thestormthatproducedthisdischargewasfirstobservedbythespacecraft

onDecember5,2010inSaturn'snorthernhemisphere.The
stormisthefirstofitskindtobeobservedbyaspacecraftin
orbitaroundSaturnaswellasthefirsttobeobservedatthermal
infraredwavelengths,allowingscientiststoobservethe
temperatureofSaturn'satmosphereandtrackphenomenathat
areinvisibletothenakedeye.Thespikeofethylenegasthat
wasproducedbythestormreachedlevelsthatwere100times
morethanthosethoughtpossibleforSaturn.Scientistshave
alsodeterminedthatthestormwitnessedwasthelargest,hottest
stratosphericvortexeverdetectedinoursolarsystem,initially
beinglargerthanJupiter'sGreatRedSpot.
Northernhemispherestormin2011

Venustransit

CloseupofIapetussurface,2007

OnDecember21,2012,CassiniobservedatransitofVenus
acrosstheSun.[73]TheVIMSinstrumentanalyzedsunlightpassingthoughtheVenusianatmosphere.[73]VIMSpreviouslyobservedthetransit
ofexoplanetHD189733b.[73]

"TheDaytheEarthSmiled"
OnJuly19,2013,theprobewaspointedtowardsEarthtocaptureanimageoftheEarthandtheMoon,
aspartofanaturallight,multiimageportraitoftheentireSaturnsystem.Theeventwasuniqueasit
wasthefirsttimeNASAinformedthepublicthatalongdistancephotowasbeingtakenin
advance.[74][75]Theimagingteamsaidtheywantedpeopletosmileandwavetotheskies,withCassini
scientist,CarolynPorco,describingthemomentasachanceto"celebratelifeonthePaleBlueDot".[76]

Rheaflyby
OnFebruary9,2015theCassinispacecraftvisitedRheamoreclosely,comingwithin29,000miles
(47,000kilometers).[77]Thespacecraftobservedthemoonwithitscamerasproducingsomeofthe
highestresolutioncolorimagesyetofRhea.[78]

Hyperionflyby

"TheDaytheEarthSmiled"Saturn
withsomeofitsmoons,Earth,
Venus,andMarsasvisibleinthis
Cassinimontage(July19,2013). [74]

CassiniperformeditslatestandperhapsfinalflybyofSaturn'smoonHyperionon31May2015atadistanceofabout34,000km
(21,000mi).[79]

Hyperioncontextview
from37,000km(23,000mi)
(31May2015).

Hyperioncloseupview
from38,000km(24,000mi)
(31May2015).

Dioneflyby
CassiniperformeditslastflybyofSaturn'smoonDioneon17August2015atadistanceofabout295mi(475km).Apreviousflybywas
performedon16June.[80]

Spacecraftdisposal
ThechosenmissionendinginvolvesaseriesofcloseSaturnpasses,approachingwithintherings,thenanentryintoSaturn'satmosphereon
September15,2017todestroythespacecraft.[49]Thismethodwaschosenbecauseitisimperativetoensureprotectionandpreventbiological
contaminationtoanyofthemoonsofSaturnthoughttoofferpotentialhabitability.[81]

Glossary
AACS:AttitudeandArticulationControlSubsystem
ACS:AttitudeControlSubsystem
AFC:AACSFlightComputer
ARWM:ArticulatedReactionWheelMechanism

ASI:AgenziaSpazialeItaliana,theItalianspaceagency
BIU:BusInterfaceUnit
CAM:CommandApprovalMeeting
CDS:CommandandDataSubsystemCassinicomputerthatcommandsandcollectsdatafromtheinstruments
CICLOPS:CassiniImagingCentralLaboratoryforOperations(http://ciclops.org/index.php)
CIMS:CassiniInformationManagementSystem
CIRS:CompositeInfraredSpectrometer
DCSS:DescentControlSubsystem
DSCC:DeepSpaceCommunicationsCenter
DSN:DeepSpaceNetwork(largeantennasaroundtheEarth)
DTSTART:DeadTimeStart
ELS:ElectronSpectrometer(partofCAPSinstrument)
ERT:Earthreceivedtime,UTCofanevent
ESA:EuropeanSpaceAgency
ESOC:EuropeanSpaceOperationsCentre
FSW:flightsoftware
HGA:HighGainAntenna
HMCS:HuygensMonitoringandControlSystem
HPOC:HuygensProbeOperationsCenter
IBS:IonBeamSpectrometer(partofCAPSinstrument)
IEB:InstrumentExpandedBlocks(instrumentcommandsequences)
IMS:IonMassSpectrometer(partofCAPSinstrument)
ITL:IntegratedTestLaboratoryspacecraftsimulator
IVP:InertialVectorPropagator
LGA:LowGainAntenna
NAC:NarrowAngleCamera
NASA:NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration,theUnitedStatesofAmericaspaceagency
OTM:OrbitTrimManeuver
PDRS:ProbeDataRelaySubsystem
PHSS:ProbeHarnessSubSystem
POSW:ProbeOnBoardSoftware
PPS:PowerandPyrotechnicSubsystem
PRA:ProbeRelayAntenna
PSA:ProbeSupportAvionics
PSIV:PreliminarySequenceIntegrationandValidation
PSE:probesupportequipment
RCS:ReactionControlSystem
RFS:RadioFrequencySubsystem
RPX:ringplanecrossing
RWA:ReactionWheelAssembly

SCET:SpacecraftEventTime
SCR:sequencechangerequests
SKR:SaturnKilometricRadiation
SOI:SaturnOrbitInsertion(July1,2004)
SOP:ScienceOperationsPlan
SSPS:SolidStatePowerSwitch
SSR:SolidStateRecorder
SSUP:ScienceandSequenceUpdateProcess
TLA:ThermalLouverAssemblies
USO:UltraStableOscillator
VRHU:VariableRadioisotopeHeaterUnits
WAC:WideAngleCamera

Seealso
CassiniHuygenstimeline
CassiniHuygensretirement
Europlanet,datanetwork
Galileo,Jupiterorbiterandentryprobe(19892003)
PlanetaryScienceDecadalSurvey
TomKrimigis

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Furtherreading
DavidM.Harland(2002).MissiontoSaturn:CassiniandtheHuygensProbe.SpringerVerlag.ISBN1852336560.
RalphLorenzandJacquelineMitton(2002).LiftingTitan'sVeil:ExploringtheGiantMoonofSaturn.CambridgeUniversityPress.
ISBN0521793483.
KarlGrossman(1997).TheWrongStuff:TheSpaceProgram'sNuclearThreattoOurPlanet.CommonCouragePress.ISBN156751
1252.

Externallinks
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