Entry 116, on 2005-01-17 at 19:18:37 (Rating 1, Science)
The Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan has been a great success. The photos and scientific data returned have been amazing, and I think NASA, and its partners (especially the ESA) deserve congratulations on succeeding with this extraordinary engineering and logistical feat.
The Cassini spacecraft travelled about 2 billion kilometers in 7 years, including close passes to planets 4 times (Venus, Earth, Venus, Jupiter) to gain extra speed through the gravitational pull of those planets in their orbits. It also passed through Saturn's ring system, which is a risky and daring move, to slow the spacecraft enough to orbit Saturn.
I know a lot of people will complain about the expense of this mission but we need to get this into perspective and compare it with the amount spent on other things by the very rich countries involved (USA and Europe). Not only does this mission provide information which can't be collected any other way, but it is also a great example of precision engineering and electronic design succeeding against almost impossible odds.
Its especially important that, when there have been a few failures of spacecraft recently (Mars missions seem to be particularly problematic), this mission should succeed in the most distant landing on a planet or moon so far.
NASA are currently concentrating on smaller scale, cheaper, missions which in some ways is sensible because hardware failure in these situations isn't as critical, and when simple value for money is considered these are probably more productive. But we shouldn't forget that sometimes a big, expansive mission is required, and the rewards can be impressive. The Pioneer and Voyager tours of the Solar System, and beyond are classic examples.
So I would like to see NASA (and ESA and other organisations) continue to spend a small fortune on this type of space exploration in the future!
Comment 1 by MM on 2005-02-15 at 23:22:46:
It's wonderful news My dad and I have been following the reports as they come out. He's a lecturer on spaceflight and astronomy, and is also a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society - so it's "space, space, space..." at the moment in our house!!
I understand that a craft to Venus is being sent out, which will be the first one in over a decade now. And another craft has been sent out to land on the surface of a comet travelling towards the Sun.
It's all very exciting!
Comment 2 by OJB on 2005-02-15 at 23:23:55:
I'm pleased to see some people still find the exploration of space exciting. To a lot of people it has become so routine, especially the unmanned missions. This stuff is so great to an amateur astronomer of many years, like myself.
Comment 3 by MM on 2005-02-15 at 23:24:26:
I don't see how it couldn't be thought of as exciting! There is so much new information to be learnt - things about the universe which affect the way we live. If that's not exciting, I don't know what is!
You do amateur astronomy? That's so wonderful! What make(s) of telescope do you use?
Comment 4 by OJB on 2005-02-15 at 23:25:04:
I currently have a 34 cm Newtonian reflector. Home made by a friend. The best 'scope I have used is the 1 meter reflector at Mount John, New Zealand.
Here's some photos...
http://owen2.otago.ac.nz/owen/XuPhotoNZMtJohn/MtJohn.html
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