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Whose decided Cassini's flight path?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 7th 05, 08:49 PM
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Default Whose decided Cassini's flight path?

I just found out that Cassini will *never* fly close enough to get a
picture of the rings that resolves individual particles (large rocks or
ice chunks). Why not?? We spend millions to send a probe some
kazillion miles away and we don't even visit the best sites. It is
like going to the Grand Canyon on vacation but never leaving the hotel
room. Unbelievable!!

BigKhat

  #4  
Old September 8th 05, 02:42 AM
Pat Flannery
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Brian Thorn wrote:

Maybe they'll risk it whe the mission starts to wind down. A couple of
well-aimed Titan flybys can put Cassini back down close to the rings
at little cost in propellant.



The trick would be to get Cassini down near the rings and moving
parallel to them at nearly the same orbital velocity, so that the ring
particles won't pose as much of an impact threat due to their low
relative velocity.

Pat
  #5  
Old September 8th 05, 06:49 AM
Mike Chan
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Pat Flannery wrote:

The trick would be to get Cassini down near the rings and moving
parallel to them at nearly the same orbital velocity, so that the ring
particles won't pose as much of an impact threat due to their low
relative velocity.


That would be quite a trick, on the order of rendezvousing with one of
the F-ring shepherd moons.

  #6  
Old September 8th 05, 08:52 AM
Pat Flannery
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Mike Chan wrote:

The trick would be to get Cassini down near the rings and moving
parallel to them at nearly the same orbital velocity, so that the ring
particles won't pose as much of an impact threat due to their low
relative velocity.



That would be quite a trick, on the order of rendezvousing with one of
the F-ring shepherd moons.



That would be a ball to do also. A slow close in pass over the sunlit
side of the rings while staying above them by a hundred miles or so
would be great for picking up fine detail on their component's interactions.

Pat
  #7  
Old September 9th 05, 08:42 PM
Eric Chomko
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Pat Flannery ) wrote:


: Mike Chan wrote:

: The trick would be to get Cassini down near the rings and moving
: parallel to them at nearly the same orbital velocity, so that the ring
: particles won't pose as much of an impact threat due to their low
: relative velocity.
:
:
:
: That would be quite a trick, on the order of rendezvousing with one of
: the F-ring shepherd moons.
:
:

: That would be a ball to do also. A slow close in pass over the sunlit
: side of the rings while staying above them by a hundred miles or so
: would be great for picking up fine detail on their component's interactions.

Turn Cassini into part of the ring system!

Eric

: Pat
 




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