Titan Flyby 10/26/04 - As it happens

[Leovinus]

For those of you watching the Titan flyby tonight and the pictures start coming in, post your comments in this thread live as it happens. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[larper]

Take a look at the "where is Cassini now" page, the view of Titan <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> (9:53am MDT) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[larper]

Oh well, too late now. Previous time I checked, the view was a solid orange screen. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

I got a black rectangle. When I went back to it, the picture wouldn't load. I wonder if they are updating it. I think the view of Saturn from Cassini is oh-so-cool. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[zavvy]

I was drawn by the Sirens of Titan<br />Carried along by their call<br />Seeking for a way to enlighten<br />Searching for the sense of it all<br /><br />Like a kiss on the wind I was thrown to the Stars<br />Captured and ordered in the Army of Mars<br />Marching to the sound of the drum in my head<br /><br />I followed the call..<br /><br />Only to be Malachi Constant<br />I thought I came to this earth<br />Living in the heart of the moment<br />With the riches I gained at my birth<br /><br />But here in the yellow and blue of my days<br />I wander the endless Mercurian caves<br />Watching for the signs the harmoniums make<br /><br />The words on the walls..<br /><br />I was drawn by the Sirens of Titan<br />And so I came in the end<br />Under the Shadow of Saturn<br />With statues and birds for my friends<br /><br />Finding a home at the end of my days<br />Looking around I've only to say<br />I was the victim of a series of accidents<br /><br />As are we all...<br /><br />========<br /><br /><i>"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."<br /><br /><i>(Thank You Kurt, Al and Richard... <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />)</i><br /></i>

 

[Leovinus]

Here's the Titan from Cassini simulation. At first, I thought it was all black. But look at the lower left corner. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[zavvy]

<font color="yellow">But look at the lower left corner.</font><br /><br />It says "Solar System Simulator".. (??)

 

[Leovinus]

You don't see the red limb of Titan? Adjust your brightness and contrast. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[zavvy]

My comp is dying and the graphics are falling apart... <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[CalliArcale]

Then I'll describe it -- Titan fills almost the entire frame. The corners of the frame show the limb of Titan. It's awesome!<br /><br />I was wanting to follow this encounter very closely, but I'm taking care of a sick baby today. She's finally asleep in her crib, so i can goof off on Uplink for a while. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[zavvy]

I still don't see it, and I even stuck it in Irfanview... <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[flynn]

Nice Poem Zavvy<br /><br /> I think this pic is from yesturday <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>

 

[CalliArcale]

Actually, that one's from months ago! Here's one from two days ago, taken in infrared to peer through the haze at a frequency of 938 nm. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[anoolios]

From the Cassini/Huygens 10/25/04 press release:<br /><br />"This is not the same white-knuckle situation we had during Saturn orbit insertion, but there are some things we can't control," said Earl Maize, deputy project manager for the Cassini-Huygens mission at JPL. "If a spacecraft anomaly should occur, or if the weather at the tracking stations does not cooperate, the science return may be limited or lost. Although this is an unlikely scenario, the possibility still exists." Cassini will have only one opportunity to send the data back to Earth before the data are overwritten on the recorders by data from the next set of observations. The first downlink of data by NASA's Deep Space Network occurs at 6:30 p.m. PDT."<br /><br /><br />This is from the Flyby Mission Description on the Cassini homepage:<br /><br />"1.4 TA DATA RECORDING AND PLAYBACK<br />The Titan-A data recording and playback strategy is the same as the nominal tour strategy,<br />with one notable exception. INMS and AACS data collected at closest approach will be<br />rerouted to partition 5 and saved until near the end of the downlink pass, so that it may be<br />played back over two complexes. This was done to further ensure successful playback as<br />these data sets contribute to the minimum Titan altitude and Huygens mission.<br />Goldstone’s 70m station is down for nearly the entire latter half of 2004 for preventitive<br />maintenance and upgrades, so the high priority science is played back over Madrid’s 70m<br />dish. Goldstone’s 34m HEF station comes up near the end of the pass as the redundant<br />station for INMS and AACS data playback.<br />A detailed time ordered description of the data playback is shown on the following pages.<br />The SSR is nearly filled during the flyby with a total of 3.5 Gbit of data. Playback begins on<br />DOY 301 at 00:16 (spacecraft time) and completes at 09:16. Dual playback to both Madrid<br />and Goldstone takes place during the last hour of the downlink (08:16-09:16 SCET).

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

Its a good thing they not utilizing the Canberra site today, as its fairly stormy here today with high wind gusts and rain acoming. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[backspace]

What's this weird program on NASA TV right now? <br /><br />LOL NM they cut it right off!

 

[Leovinus]

I just watched the Cassini countdown clock hit 0 and then NASA TV coverage started. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

745 miles above the surface after such a long voyage. That's some great navigation. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

That was a pretty cool video of what was targeted. I hope the rain in Spain doesn't screw everything up. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[backspace]

what were those images on the screen over her shoulder on the right?

 

[natrium]

So they have two webcasts now? One is with the commentators and the second one just shows the control room with no comments.<br /><br />Here is the one with control room if you are interested: http://realserver1.jpl.nasa.gov:8080/ramgen/encoder/live.rm?mode=compact

 

[Leovinus]

I don't know, but it's not a new picture. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

I love that picture of Titan. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

That cloud movie was cool. I didn't expect active cloud systems like that so far from the Sun's heat. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[backspace]

weird, you're right... how odd.<br />