Andrew Yee
January 5th 06, 02:28 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
4 January 2006
ESA probes make prestigious Science top ten
ESA's planetary probes featured in the top 10 list of major scientific
achievements of 2005, according to the prestigious US journal Science.
At the end of each year, Science publishes its annual top 10 list of major
scientific breakthroughs. Space scientists and engineers around the world
outdid themselves in 2005, with many spacecraft at or on the way to the
Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, an asteroid and a comet.
The high point of the year, however, came when the Huygens probe drifted
down on to Saturn's haze-shrouded moon Titan. The Huygens mission gained
the runner-up position in the list, highlighting the advances made by
robotic explorers in space.
A fleet of other explorers was mentioned with Huygens this year. NASA's
Voyager 1 approached the 'edge' of the Solar System and the Deep Impact
spacecraft successfully collided with Comet Tempel 1.
The NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft repeatedly swung by Saturn's rings,
Titan and other moons. ESA's SMART-1 arrived at our Moon using its ion
engine, and Europe's first mission to Venus, Venus Express, was launched.
Huygens landed on Saturn's moon Titan on 14 January 2005, the furthest
from Earth that a spacecraft had ever touched down. The information
gathered as Huygens parachuted through the atmosphere and finally settled
on the moon's surface is shedding light on a world that may look a lot
like Earth did 4600 million years ago.
According to Science, "It seems that planetary scientists, for the time
being at least, are in their second golden age of Solar System
exploration."
The number one spot in Science's list was awarded jointly to several
studies that looked at the intricate workings of evolution on Earth.
More information...
* At Saturn and Titan
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/index.html
* Huygens raw images
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/titanraw/index.htm
* Sounds of Titan
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM85Q71Y3E_index_0.html
Related articles
* Cassini-Huygens mission celebrates anniversary
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDC26Y3EE_index_0.html
* Some Cassini-Huygens science highlights
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMRP26Y3EE_0.html
* Titan's surface seen from fly-by on 22 August 2005
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM7S6A5QCE_0.html
* Huygens 3D animation of Titan's surface
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMO8G808BE_0.html
* Saturn's moon Phoebe in 3D
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMIBF0XDYD_0.html
* Cassini-Huygens looks at Phoebe's distant past
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMNL63VQUD_index_0.html
* Cassini finds atmosphere on Enceladus
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM9RC2IU7E_index_0.html
* Cassini's Hyperion fly-by
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQUK6DIAE_0.html
* Unusual geology seen during Enceladus fly-by
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMVTX808BE_0.html
Related links
* NASA's Cassini-Huygens site
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html
* Italian Space Agency (ASI)
http://www.asi.it
* Huygens DISR team
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~kholso/
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM40K0VRHE_index_1.html]
ESA's Huygens was the first spacecraft to land on a world in the outer
Solar System. In January 2005, it landed on the surface of Titan, Saturnšs
largest moon, and the only moon in the Solar System to possess a thick
atmosphere.
The gold-coloured foil blanket helped to control the probe's temperature
during the interplanetary cruise phase. The heat-resistant tiles covering
the front shield are hidden underneath the foil and provided protection
against the very high temperatures that are generated during the entry
into Titan's atmosphere.
Credits: ESA
http://www.esa.int
4 January 2006
ESA probes make prestigious Science top ten
ESA's planetary probes featured in the top 10 list of major scientific
achievements of 2005, according to the prestigious US journal Science.
At the end of each year, Science publishes its annual top 10 list of major
scientific breakthroughs. Space scientists and engineers around the world
outdid themselves in 2005, with many spacecraft at or on the way to the
Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, an asteroid and a comet.
The high point of the year, however, came when the Huygens probe drifted
down on to Saturn's haze-shrouded moon Titan. The Huygens mission gained
the runner-up position in the list, highlighting the advances made by
robotic explorers in space.
A fleet of other explorers was mentioned with Huygens this year. NASA's
Voyager 1 approached the 'edge' of the Solar System and the Deep Impact
spacecraft successfully collided with Comet Tempel 1.
The NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft repeatedly swung by Saturn's rings,
Titan and other moons. ESA's SMART-1 arrived at our Moon using its ion
engine, and Europe's first mission to Venus, Venus Express, was launched.
Huygens landed on Saturn's moon Titan on 14 January 2005, the furthest
from Earth that a spacecraft had ever touched down. The information
gathered as Huygens parachuted through the atmosphere and finally settled
on the moon's surface is shedding light on a world that may look a lot
like Earth did 4600 million years ago.
According to Science, "It seems that planetary scientists, for the time
being at least, are in their second golden age of Solar System
exploration."
The number one spot in Science's list was awarded jointly to several
studies that looked at the intricate workings of evolution on Earth.
More information...
* At Saturn and Titan
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/index.html
* Huygens raw images
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/titanraw/index.htm
* Sounds of Titan
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM85Q71Y3E_index_0.html
Related articles
* Cassini-Huygens mission celebrates anniversary
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDC26Y3EE_index_0.html
* Some Cassini-Huygens science highlights
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMRP26Y3EE_0.html
* Titan's surface seen from fly-by on 22 August 2005
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM7S6A5QCE_0.html
* Huygens 3D animation of Titan's surface
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMO8G808BE_0.html
* Saturn's moon Phoebe in 3D
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMIBF0XDYD_0.html
* Cassini-Huygens looks at Phoebe's distant past
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMNL63VQUD_index_0.html
* Cassini finds atmosphere on Enceladus
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM9RC2IU7E_index_0.html
* Cassini's Hyperion fly-by
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQUK6DIAE_0.html
* Unusual geology seen during Enceladus fly-by
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMVTX808BE_0.html
Related links
* NASA's Cassini-Huygens site
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html
* Italian Space Agency (ASI)
http://www.asi.it
* Huygens DISR team
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~kholso/
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM40K0VRHE_index_1.html]
ESA's Huygens was the first spacecraft to land on a world in the outer
Solar System. In January 2005, it landed on the surface of Titan, Saturnšs
largest moon, and the only moon in the Solar System to possess a thick
atmosphere.
The gold-coloured foil blanket helped to control the probe's temperature
during the interplanetary cruise phase. The heat-resistant tiles covering
the front shield are hidden underneath the foil and provided protection
against the very high temperatures that are generated during the entry
into Titan's atmosphere.
Credits: ESA