Cassini/Huygens Mission Update Thread

[alokmohan]

So the anxious moment is ready.Splash,thud or quench.

 

[titanian]

We know that the Huygens probe is going to land between a dark area and a bright area.If it's on the "dark side"of Titan and not on the opposite side constantly facing Saturn, we have no chance of getting an image with Saturn on the horizon though it's unlikely that Saturn is visible through the deep and opaque atmosphere of Titan.<br /><br />www.titanexploration.com

 

[thechemist]

Huygens will land on the anti-Saturnian hemisphere, so Saturn will definitely not be visible, even on clear Titanian skies <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[douglas_clark]

I am just desperate that we'll get something back.<br /><br />Douglas

 

[retro555]

Data won't start to be received at the NASA Deep Space Network until late morning Friday, EST. We will hear nothing from Cassini until then (the dish is pointed toward Titan for over 4 hours before turning to the Earth to transmit). The full data set should be on earth by mid-late afternoon EST (USA). So our first indication of success will be around 10:15am EST Friday. Stay tuned - the mysteries of Titan are about to be revealed!!!

 

[yurkin]

Wow its the lead.<br />www.cnn.com<br />This is getting good now

 

[flynn]

Funny that the last few hours wait is so unbearable when we've been waiting years. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[thechemist]

Huygens is descending as I'm typing right now. Good luck ol' pal. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[jaredgalen]

I'm looking at the Nasa TV feed on the net but I'm not getting any sound. Any one else having the same probelm

 

[jaredgalen]

Ah there we go, much better

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Signal received at Earth ground station! Huygens is alive! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

I get the impression it will be 4-5 hours at the earliest before they have data back to Earth. Maybe sleep now, and an early alarm. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[mah_fl]

Media Briefing says the Doppler Wind experiment has sent data to Cassini, this was picked up on Earth too.

 

[jaredgalen]

they're saying that huygens is on the surface , and the probe is still transmitting.<br />At least I think that's what they said

 

[cosmictraveler]

Won't know anything until 1730 today they say. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>It does not require many words to speak the truth. Chief Joseph</p> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

Much of the battle is won, Huygens made it all the way to the surface and survived impact. Unless something very untoward happened with the instruments or the radio we should be home free. In any case, congratulations to ESA and JPL on this tremendous achievement.

 

[flynn]

Woo Hoo.<br /><br />Things looking good, Fingers still firmly crossed. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[mattblack]

FANTASTIC!!! Can't wait to see those pics. By the way, does anyone know what the daytime light levels are on the surface?? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[telfrow]

10:10 am update from SpaceFlightNow.com<br /><br />FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005<br />1510 GMT (10:10 a.m. EST)<br /><br />"This is clearly an engineering success and we know the probe has been successfully entering the atmosphere, has been descending on the parachute to the surface," said Jean-Pierre Lebreton, ESA's Huygens project scientist. <br /><br />"But at this moment we cannot say more. I mean, we have not seen the data. What we have seen is a tone, a signal, which was indicating that the probe was transmitting but we have not seen any real data yet. So I would like to wait a bit more to say whether we have a successful mission or not." <br /><br />The first Huygens data via the Cassini telemetry playback is expected in about an hour. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[imran10]

Wow. It's been two hours since it landed and Huygens is still transmitting!

 

[no_way]

"Huygens is still transmitting"<br /><br />yes but nobodys listening. Cassini is beyond the horizon now and pointing its antennaes toward earth. <br />I bet those pesky Titanians were hiding beyond the boulders until then

 

[telfrow]

Update from SpaceFlightNow.com....<br /><br />FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005<br />1526 GMT (10:26 a.m. EST)<br /><br />The communications link between Cassini and Earth has been established. <br /><br />Great news!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

Today may be the day I get fired. Thank God for cube walls. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[telfrow]

And another SpaceFlightNow.com update....<br /><br />FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005<br />1530 GMT (10:30 a.m. EST)<br /><br />Scientists have another 40 minutes of suspense before the first Huygens data arrives on Earth, which will confirm probe's transmissions to Cassini and recording aboard the orbiter has worked. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Leo, thanks for this thread - one place for all the information. I like it. : )<br /><br /> Huygens moon probe lands on Titan by Paul Rincon, BBC News science reporter in Darmstadt, Germany, 14 January, 2005