Followup [UPDATE] Cassini exits B-ring occultation, passes closest approach to Saturn,

OM scribed:
Graeme Carrott wrote:

om contributes:

...On another side note, those expecting images during the ring plane
pass will be disappointed.

Hell, I'm just glad Cassini's made it through unscathed.... and looking
forward to information from Saturn in the next four years.

...Same here. Still, it would be interesting to find out if there's
enough fuel for such a crossing when it's time to wind up the mission.
Sure would beat the hell visually out of dropping it into Saturn first
:-)

They mentioned going out of plane by as much as 75 deg late in the
mission to get another overhead of the rings; perhaps that will
include a crossing that they'll keep at least 1 camera active for.

(Was part of the issue the use of the LGA during passage; I think
they said the M or H GA was being used as a shield.)

/dps

dave schneider wrote:

They mentioned going out of plane by as much as 75 deg late in the
mission to get another overhead of the rings; perhaps that will
include a crossing that they'll keep at least 1 camera active for.

Cassini will cross the ring plane many times during the tour. It just
won't cross it as close to *visible ring structure* as it did during SOI.

(Was part of the issue the use of the LGA during passage; I think
they said the M or H GA was being used as a shield.)

Yes, the HGA was pointed in ram direction (and off Earth point) as a
dust shield during the ascending and descending ring plane crossings
before and after SOI.

--


Alex R. Blackwell
University of Hawaii