Aim Cassini's RADAR at Saturn?

[willpittenger]

Would aiming the Cassini's RADAR at Saturn provide any useful data? I am not sure how far it would penetrate. Did anyone consider trying it while Cassini was near Jupiter? (Would that even been safe given the radiation?) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[vogon13]

HWGA<br /><br /><br />When the Cassini craft emits a radio pulse from it's large dish at an astronomical object, and records the echo of the signal that bounces off the object, (conventional definition of RADAR) the useful range of this technique is severly limited in range by the double inverse square effect.<br /><br />Cassini can only, for instance, radar map Titan when it is only a few thousand kilometers away.<br /><br />Cassini never approached Jupiter anywhere remotely close enough for this technique to be used.<br /><br />Approaching Saturn close enough would be a very extreme manuver for a very valuble resource.<br /><br /><br />The radar instrument can also be employed in a passive mode, utilizing the natural RF emissions of various objects for study.<br /><br />Since these observations are based on essentially wide band random RF 'noise', mapping cannot be done. But, information about surface roughness, temperature and maybe composition can be studied this way.<br /><br />Such observations of many objects can and will be done.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Well, I was hoping it could work like Magellan at Venus. Guess not. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[qso1]

Magellan Venus worked because the antenna was specifically designed for radar mapping Venus. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[mikejz]

I would if a mission that used a large electrodynamic tether at Jupiter would be able to generate the needed power to actually be able do substantive radar imaging of Jupiter's internal structure.

 

[qso1]

I'm not an expert on electrodynamic tethers but it sure sounds like a mission worth doing. A great idea for follow on missions to Galileo. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

From what was posted when I first asked, it might help if the probe sent for this had JIMO's reactor. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>