The case for an extended Cassini mission - Titan

[astrophoto]

I would like to hear any scientific data either way, that would calculate the possibility of putting Cassini into orbit around Titan after the primary mission goals have been reached. Remaining fuel, possible braking techniques, etc.<br /><br />I have been studying and photographing Saturn and the other planets for years now and I must say that Titan intrigues me, and I believe it holds more significant scientific data than Saturn does. It seems to be the case where bigger isn't necessarily better. Yes, understanding Saturn is scientifically important -- but the amount of science we can do with a dynamic terrestrial world like Titan is magnitudes higher in my opinion. It would also allow us to better map Titan's surface in preparation of future missions.

 

[vogon13]

Sorry if this reply comes up twice, the old Dell just had a brain twitch and I don't know where my post went....<br /><br />anyhow, check out the 'could cassini orbit Titan' thread. The are many good ideas posted there on how and why (and why not) this might happen. I just realized the Apollo and Zond capsules were put into retrograde lunar orbits back in the sixties. I presume this was done to save fuel. If you put enough tricks together, it is starting to look like Cassini might be able to achieve some kind of orbit around Titan. A 20 day eccentric Saturn orbit exterior to Titan's orbit would get you a good flyby of Titan every 80 days or so for as long as you wanted to do this. Maybe perturbations on this path from Titan could be arranged to precess orbit around Saturn so you could look all the way around Titan, if you catch my drift. This path would occaisionally get you close to Hyperion (every 400 days or so). A nice upgrade for Cassini would have been the Prometheus engine, then we get to orbit all of the moons. Can't wait to see what special weirdness Enceladus is saving for us. Iapetus has surely been a treat. Luv thinkin' 'bout 'dis stuff. <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>

 

[kdavis007]

I would like to see humans go to Titan...