[X] My Assistant

[imran]

Whether this is a two-year extension or longer I'd still have to go with Titan. There is so much of this world which we don't understand and have only begun to unveil that it begs us to focus our attention on this dynamic world. Some important questions that may only be answered with additional flybys:

- What is the source of methane in the atmosphere?
- Are there any bodies of liquids on the surface?
- Is there active precipitation?
- Is Titan geologically active, i.e. cryvolcanism, tectonism, etc?
- What is the extent of the organics present?
- Is there an ammonia/water mixture under the surface?

[elakdawalla]

Although I wouldn't call this a "main focus," I would like to see the trajectory studied hard for the opportunity to do a pretty close flyby (say around 2,000 km) of one of the itty bitty moons, and to give the flyby a resonably dense set of observations. The closest Cassini will get to any of those things during the primary mission is 10,000 km from Telesto, which happened on October 11. Hyperion looked so bizarre up close, I'd like to see what one or two of the itty bitty ones -- Methone, Pallene, Calypso, Polydeuces, or Helene looks like from that kind of perspective.

--Emily

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

Although I wouldn't call this a "main focus," I would like to see the trajectory studied hard for the opportunity to do a pretty close flyby (say around 2,000 km) of one of the itty bitty moons, and to give the flyby a resonably dense set of observations.  The closest Cassini will get to any of those things during the primary mission is 10,000 km from Telesto, which happened on October 11.

Are you sure? I can't say yet how (or if) the new reference trajectory will affect it but there is a non-targeted flyby of Epimetheus on 12/03/07, with the current figures at: Inbound 6364 km flyby, v = 7.5 km/s, phase = 139 deg.

And an earlier non-targeted flyby of Methone on 6/27/07 isn't too shabby, either (Inbound 12636 km flyby, v = 10.3 km/s, phase = 115 deg.).

[elakdawalla]

Are you sure? I can't say yet how (or if) the new reference trajectory will affect it but there is a non-targeted flyby of Epimetheus on 12/03/07, with the current figures at: Inbound 6364 km flyby, v = 7.5 km/s, phase = 139 deg. 

I'm not totally sure, but I have a list from 2004 of the nontargeteds that the satellites planners were actually planning observations for, and that's the closest one that's in that list. But my list is from 2004 and may have been supplanted by now. I'd be happy to be wrong!

--Emily

[tallbear]

I'm not totally sure, but I have a list from 2004 of the nontargeteds that the satellites planners were actually planning observations for, and that's the closest one that's in that list.  But my list is from 2004 and may have been supplanted by now.  I'd be happy to be wrong!

--Emily

The 2007 DOY 337 Epimetheus flyby is in the existing sequence for observations.

FYI the ROCKS are largely in the hands of the RINGS folk and since accurate ephemerides were not available during the planning phase, a number of the good viewing opportunities are not in sequences at present. The two Methone close flybys are not yet in any sequences. There is a Janus flyby near the end of the mission at ~14000 km which also has nt yet been incorporated into existing sequences.

However, the upcoming Tour adjustment will tweak all these nontargeted Rock flybys to some TBD extent.

The RINGS folk have requested that some close flybys of the ROCKS be planned in the EM and have prioritized the lsit of Rock Targets. Closer is certainly better, but we really want to have flybys where the Rock is well lit and will give VIMS a good data set. So the minimum range requested is one that where much of the Rock will be well lit and will fill at least 1/2 of the NAC FOV.

Many of the Rock observations other than the CLOSE flybys are being accomplished using 'retargetables' and therefore do not show up in any sequence products until final planning of the sequences is underway. The CLOSE flybys that are not yet in sequences will quite probably be sequenced but the time for those observations needs to be negotiated.

[tallbear]

The 2007 DOY 337 Epimetheus flyby is in the existing sequence for observations.

FYI the ROCKS are largely in the hands of the RINGS folk and since accurate ephemerides were not available during the planning phase, a number of the good viewing opportunities are not in sequences at present.  The two Methone close flybys are not yet in any sequences.  There is a Janus flyby near the end of the mission at ~14000 km which also has nt yet been incorporated into existing sequences. 

This may not belong in this thread...but ... Here is a listing of the 30 closest Rock flybys in the present Tour..( after mid 2005 ).. This list also shows if the observations of each flyby are included in present sequences ... It does not show if there is a retargetable that is planned for observations of any of the flybys.

These are opportunities to look at 13 new unexplored bodies. Are they all captured ? Asteroids ? Comets ? Are they all leftovers from the formation of Saturn ? There's a lot to be leared from exploring this family of small Saturnian Satellites.

Attached File(s)

 ROCKS_30_CLOSEST_TMP.pdf ( 63.12K ) Number of downloads: 766