Enceladus-3 (March 12, 2008) |
Enceladus-3 (March 12, 2008) |
Guest_AlexBlackwell_* |
Feb 24 2006, 09:12 PM
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Guests |
Excerpt from Cassini Significant Events for 02/16/06 - 02/22/06:
"As mentioned in previous weeks, the project has been working on adopting a new reference trajectory in order to raise the minimum Titan flyby altitude for various encounters. Today the project reached a decision to proceed with the 'optocc2' trajectory. Additional work is still to be performed before delivery of the final files. This will include minor tweaks that have been analyzed in other trajectories, adjusting orbit 68 timing, and capture of an Enceladus plume occultation on orbit 28." For the record, the new reference trajectory will result in an even more spectacular Enceladus-3 flyby [61EN (t) E3] on March 12, 2008. |
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Guest_Richard Trigaux_* |
Mar 9 2006, 11:05 PM
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#2
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Guests |
Passing at 25 kms of Enceladus would be very interesting for measuring its gravitationnal field, allowing to detect its inner structure. Why 25kms and not 30 or 10? I think it is a matter of accuracy of navigation: not to take a risk to crash on Enceladus (a double catastrophe, if we contaminate a world where our bacterias can undoubtly live) but passing as close at possible to have a better gravitation measurement.
To take images? Wow fantastic images from such an altitude, not much more than an airliner... But probably motion blurred beyond recognition. Unless they develop a special imaging software coupled with a variable tilt of the ship... To pass into the plume? Not necessary for gravitation measurement. But a bit difficult to avoid, as it takes much place. Dangerous to pass into the plume? I don't know. Certainly it is not benign, that depends on the size of the snow particules, that we don't know. Measures could tell us that there are many micron-sized particules, but not show a minority of larger ones, for instance soil bits expelled by the vents. Only one snow flake, and it is the end of the mission... In any case, Cassini should pass through the plume antenna ahead, as during the insertion. The ideal would be to pass just besides the plume, and take images of the vents... |
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Mar 9 2006, 11:38 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 194 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 10 |
To take images? Wow fantastic images from such an altitude, not much more than an airliner... But probably motion blurred beyond recognition. Unless they develop a special imaging software coupled with a variable tilt of the ship...
I think they have pretty short shutter speeds available, and if they point the camera either forward or backwards along the spacecraft path the blurring would be minimized, and radial in character. The lighting would be probably better for photography looking one way rather than the other, and a rapid sequence including the closest approach would make a hellova animation. Don |
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