Fall 1999 RITTI ConferenceFall 1999 RITTI Conference

Mark M. GadboisMark M. GadboisRI Solar System RI Solar System AmbassadorAmbassador

1999 RITTI Conference1999 RITTI Conference Cassini-Huygens mission to SaturnCassini-Huygens mission to Saturn Galileo’s continued mission at Galileo’s continued mission at

JupiterJupiter Solar System Ambassador ProgramSolar System Ambassador Program Student involvementStudent involvement

Cassini-HuygensCassini-Huygens

CassiniCassini The mission is named in honor of

the seventeenth-century, French-Italian astronomer Jean Dominique Cassini, who discovered the prominent gap in Saturn's main rings, as well as the icy moons Iapetus, Rhea, Dione, and Tethys.

HuygensHuygens The ESA Titan probe is named in honor

of the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Titan in 1655, followed in 1659 by his rediscovery of a ring system surrounding the planet. Huygens was also famous for his invention of the pendulum clock, the first accurate timekeeping device.

Cassini-Huygens Mission Cassini-Huygens Mission Objectives (sic)Objectives (sic)

to return information about the Saturn system; its rings, moons, magnetosphere, and last but not least, the planet itself.

to have the spacecraft captured in orbit about Saturn and provide the opportunity for an on-site observatory to map the vast realm for many years

Small MiraclesSmall Miracles 900,000,000 miles (1,430,000,000 900,000,000 miles (1,430,000,000

kilometers)kilometers) 6.7 years flight time6.7 years flight time ““gravity assists”gravity assists”

Did you know...? When the Voyager spacecraft flew by Jupiter, it gained 16 kilometers (10 miles) per second of speed at a

cost of slowing down Jupiter by 1 foot every

trillion years!

The Gas GiantThe Gas Giant

ArrivalArrival Scheduled to arrive on July 1, 2004Scheduled to arrive on July 1, 2004 Deployment of the Huygens probe Deployment of the Huygens probe

to Titan is scheduled for to Titan is scheduled for November 5, 2004 with the probe November 5, 2004 with the probe scheduled to enter the atmosphere scheduled to enter the atmosphere of Titan on Nov 27.of Titan on Nov 27.

Why go?Why go?

More information...More information... Cassini-Huygens models (1/37th Cassini-Huygens models (1/37th

and 1/40th scale) and 1/40th scale) www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/modelwww.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/model

Cassini Home Page - Cassini Home Page - www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassiniwww.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini

GalileoGalileo

G.E.M.G.E.M.Galileo Europa MissionGalileo Europa Mission

Fortune favors the bold.Fortune favors the bold.-Virgil-Virgil

The HurdlesThe Hurdles Challenger explosion in Jan 86 grounded Challenger explosion in Jan 86 grounded

the shuttle fleet until problems were fixed.the shuttle fleet until problems were fixed. Centaur rocket forbidden to be carried Centaur rocket forbidden to be carried

aboard a shuttleaboard a shuttle VEEGA gravity assistVEEGA gravity assist Flying closer to the sun than originally Flying closer to the sun than originally

designeddesigned Aging, navigational hardwareAging, navigational hardware

The bonusThe bonus VenusVenus Earth/MoonEarth/Moon Asteroid 951 Asteroid 951

(Gaspra)(Gaspra) Asteroid 243 (Ida) Asteroid 243 (Ida)

& Dactyl& Dactyl Shoemaker-Levy Shoemaker-Levy

99

HistoryHistory Launched from Atlantis on Oct 18, Launched from Atlantis on Oct 18,

19891989 Primary orbit achieved Dec 95Primary orbit achieved Dec 95 Two year mission ended (with Two year mission ended (with

funding) in Dec 97funding) in Dec 97 New funding achieved to continue New funding achieved to continue

mission until Dec 99mission until Dec 99 Flybys of Europa and IoFlybys of Europa and Io

A new focusA new focus Concentrating on the unique moon Concentrating on the unique moon

Europa, the second portion of the Europa, the second portion of the Galileo mission has discovered new & Galileo mission has discovered new & exciting possibilities.exciting possibilities.

Our first views of Europa, through Our first views of Europa, through Pioneer 10 and 11 gave fuzzy views Pioneer 10 and 11 gave fuzzy views of yellow plains, mottled areas, & of yellow plains, mottled areas, & cracks - thousands of kilometers longcracks - thousands of kilometers long

Galileo imagesGalileo images Small blocks of Small blocks of

crust float over an crust float over an invisible seainvisible sea

Tidal flexingTidal flexing Volcanic ice flowsVolcanic ice flows Liquid water Liquid water

ocean?ocean? Life?Life?

Key to LifeKey to Life Very High

Resolution Image of Icy Cliffs on Europa and Similar Scales on Earth (Providence, RI)

Key to LifeKey to Life "The combination of interior heat, liquid

water, and infall of organic material from comets and meteorites means that Europa has the key ingredients for life," Head says. "Europa, like Mars and the Saturn moon Titan, is a laboratory for the study of conditions that might have led to the formation of life in the solar system."

IoIo The most volcanically active body The most volcanically active body

in the solar system.in the solar system. Some of its features change within Some of its features change within

weeksweeks

Chemical & Physical Chemical & Physical activityactivity

No impact cratersNo impact craters Sulfur and frozen Sulfur and frozen

sulfer dioxidesulfer dioxide Iron coreIron core Sodium gas and Sodium gas and

sulfur ions in the sulfur ions in the torus of Io’s orbittorus of Io’s orbit

ComparisonComparison While Olympus Mons (Mars) may be the While Olympus Mons (Mars) may be the

largest volcano in the solar system, it largest volcano in the solar system, it has been dormant for hundreds of has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of yearsthousands of years

Io, launches streams of fluidic sulfurs Io, launches streams of fluidic sulfurs and silicates over 60 km from the and silicates over 60 km from the surface. The particles freeze and fall surface. The particles freeze and fall back to the surface as a sulfur dioxide back to the surface as a sulfur dioxide snowsnow

Coming soon...Coming soon... Galileo flyby of Io on Nov 26th at a Galileo flyby of Io on Nov 26th at a

distance of about 300 km as distance of about 300 km as compared to the Oct 11 flyby at compared to the Oct 11 flyby at 611 km611 km

Solar System AmbassadorSolar System Ambassador

Jet Propulsions Laboratory Jet Propulsions Laboratory Community Education and Community Education and

OutreachOutreach

DutiesDuties Four presentations to the public on Four presentations to the public on

current space missionscurrent space missions …………

BenefitsBenefits StuffStuff More stuffMore stuff More free stuffMore free stuff

How to apply...How to apply... www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassadorwww.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador 17 page applications17 page applications not a cyclical processnot a cyclical process

Student involvementStudent involvement Three presentationsThree presentations PowerPointPowerPoint Parental invitationsParental invitations Extra Credit assignmentsExtra Credit assignments video tapevideo tape

Curriculum integrationCurriculum integration Public speakingPublic speaking TechnologyTechnology Current eventsCurrent events Nature of the universeNature of the universe Recognition of bias in dataRecognition of bias in data