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| Small Bodies Mission Support |
The Cassini mission is a joint endeavor between NASA, the European Space Agency
(ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Scientific objectives for the mission
include a detailed study of the planet Saturn and its rings, magnetosphere, and
satellites. Part of the Cassini mission includes the delivery of an atmospheric
probe to Saturn's satellite Titan.
The spacecraft was launched on 15 October 1997. Cassini flew by Venus twice for
gravitational assists on 26 April 1998 and 24 June 1999. It entered into orbit
around Saturn on July 1, 2004. On December 25, 2004 the Huygens probe separated
from the orbiter. The probe reached Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005,
where it made an atmospheric descent to the surface and relayed scientific
information.
The Cassini mission is scheduled to end on 1 July 2008. However, there are plans for a possible extended mission, but it will not be decided upon until later in the Cassini primary mission.
The Cassini Mission web site is maintained by NASA/JPL. There is a separate home site for the Huygens probe maintained by ESA.
The SBN, through its Interplanetary Dust Subnode, is the contact PDS node for the Cosmic Dust Analyzer archive data.
| Instrument/Investigation | Measuring | Small Bodies Data available below |
|---|---|---|
| Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) | Infrared emissions from atmospheres, rings, and surfaces | none |
| Imaging Science Subsystems (ISS) | Image Saturn and its satellites | none |
| Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) | Ultraviolet light reflected or emitted from atmospheres, rings, and surfaces | none |
| Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) | Reflected or emitted radiation from atmospheres, rings, and surfaces | none |
| Cassini Radar (RADAR) | Blackbody radiation and reflected radar signals from the target objects | none |
| Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) | Compositions, pressures, and temperatures of atmospheres and ionospheres; radial structure and particle size distribution in rings; gravitational waves | none |
| Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) | Flux of ions; flux of electrons | none |
| Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) | Particulate matter in the Saturnian system | CDA Archive |
| Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) | Composition and structure of positive ions and neutral species | none |
| Dual Technique Magnetometer (MAG) | Planetary magnetic fields | none |
| Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) | Energetic ions and electrons; fast neutral species; remote imaging of Saturn's magnetosphere | none |
| Radio & Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) | Electric and magnetic fields, electron density, and temperature in the interplanetary medium and planetary magnetospheres | none |
| Instrument/Investigation | Measuring | Small Bodies Data available below |
|---|---|---|
| Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser (ACP) | Chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles | none |
| Descent Imager and Spectral Radiometer (DISR) | Imaging and spectral measurements; flux of radiation; light intensity around the Sun | none |
| Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE) | Probe drift due to winds in Titan's atmosphere | none |
| Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) | Chemical composition of Titan's atmosphere and surface | none |
| Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI) | Physical and electrical properties of Titan's atmosphere | none |
| Surface Science Package (SSP) | Physical properties and composition of Titan's surface at the point of impact | none |
| Instrument/ Investigation Description | Target | Description of Available Data | Data Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) | Interplanetary Dust | Released in yearly packages | CDA Archive at PSI |
| Target | Target Type | Other Data Sets Targeting this Object |
|---|---|---|
| Dust | Interplanetary Dust | Dust Data Archives (at the Asteroid/Dust Subnode) |