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NASA Saturn Mission Prepares for 'Ring-Grazing Orbits'
7 years 6 months ago - 7 years 6 months ago #8534
by ??
Below is a list of milestones expected to occur during the event, if all goes as planned:
-- 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT) on April 25: Cassini is approaching Saturn over the planet’s northern hemisphere in advance of its first of 22 planned dives through the gap between the planet and its rings.
-- 1:34 a.m. PDT (4:34 a.m. EDT) on April 26: As it passes from north to south over Saturn, Cassini begins a 14-minute turn to point its high-gain antenna into the direction of oncoming ring particles. In this orientation, the antenna acts as a protective shield for Cassini’s instruments and engineering systems.
-- 2 a.m. PDT (5 a.m. EDT) on April 26: Cassini crosses the ring plane during its dive between the rings and Saturn. The spacecraft’s science instruments are collecting data, but Cassini is not in contact with Earth at this time.
-- No earlier than around midnight PDT on April 26 (3 a.m. EDT on April 27): Earth has its first opportunity to regain contact with Cassini as the giant, 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, listens for the spacecraft’s radio signal.
-- Likely no earlier than 12:30 a.m. PDT (3:30 a.m. EDT) on April 27: Images are scheduled to become available from the spacecraft.
Replied by ?? on topic NASA Saturn Mission Prepares for 'Ring-Grazing Orbits'
Below is a list of milestones expected to occur during the event, if all goes as planned:
-- 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT) on April 25: Cassini is approaching Saturn over the planet’s northern hemisphere in advance of its first of 22 planned dives through the gap between the planet and its rings.
-- 1:34 a.m. PDT (4:34 a.m. EDT) on April 26: As it passes from north to south over Saturn, Cassini begins a 14-minute turn to point its high-gain antenna into the direction of oncoming ring particles. In this orientation, the antenna acts as a protective shield for Cassini’s instruments and engineering systems.
-- 2 a.m. PDT (5 a.m. EDT) on April 26: Cassini crosses the ring plane during its dive between the rings and Saturn. The spacecraft’s science instruments are collecting data, but Cassini is not in contact with Earth at this time.
-- No earlier than around midnight PDT on April 26 (3 a.m. EDT on April 27): Earth has its first opportunity to regain contact with Cassini as the giant, 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, listens for the spacecraft’s radio signal.
-- Likely no earlier than 12:30 a.m. PDT (3:30 a.m. EDT) on April 27: Images are scheduled to become available from the spacecraft.
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7 years 6 months ago - 7 years 6 months ago #8541
by ??
Replied by ?? on topic NASA Saturn Mission Prepares for 'Ring-Grazing Orbits'
Cassini's Signal Detected After Dive Through Saturn's Rings
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
Cassini spacecraft dives between Saturn and its rings, back in contact with Earth
Grand Finale Dive #2
During this orbit, Cassini gets within 1,820 miles (2,930 kilometers) of Saturn’s 1-bar level. Cassini also passes within 2,980 miles (4,780 kilometers) of the inner edge of Saturn’s D ring.
Cassini’s imaging cameras, the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), takes advantage of the last opportunity to observe Saturn's rings at extremely high phase angles while the Sun is hidden behind Saturn, allowing the instrument to survey faint ringlets in the main rings, many of which are difficult to observe outside of this geometry. The ISS also collects images to produce a movie to monitor various structures in Saturn’s D ring.
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
Cassini spacecraft dives between Saturn and its rings, back in contact with Earth
Grand Finale Dive #2
During this orbit, Cassini gets within 1,820 miles (2,930 kilometers) of Saturn’s 1-bar level. Cassini also passes within 2,980 miles (4,780 kilometers) of the inner edge of Saturn’s D ring.
Cassini’s imaging cameras, the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), takes advantage of the last opportunity to observe Saturn's rings at extremely high phase angles while the Sun is hidden behind Saturn, allowing the instrument to survey faint ringlets in the main rings, many of which are difficult to observe outside of this geometry. The ISS also collects images to produce a movie to monitor various structures in Saturn’s D ring.
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7 years 6 months ago #8598
by ??
Replied by ?? on topic NASA Saturn Mission Prepares for 'Ring-Grazing Orbits'
Grand Finale Dive #3
During Cassini’s third Grand Finale orbit, the spacecraft’s radio instrument, called the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS), performs gravity field measurements using the Doppler shift to study the interior of Saturn. The radio science instrument also studies Saturn’s rings as the spacecraft’s radio signal passes through the rings en route to Earth.
During Cassini’s third Grand Finale orbit, the spacecraft’s radio instrument, called the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS), performs gravity field measurements using the Doppler shift to study the interior of Saturn. The radio science instrument also studies Saturn’s rings as the spacecraft’s radio signal passes through the rings en route to Earth.
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