Titan Flyby - 29 January 2007
26 January 2007
Just 16 days after Titan-23, Cassini returns to Titan for its twenty-fifth targeted encounter. The closest approach to Titan occurs on Monday, 29 January, at 07:15:55 UT at an altitude of 2631 kilometres above the surface and at a speed of 5.8 kilometres per second. The latitude at closest approach is 33° N and the encounter occurs on orbit number 38.This encounter is set up with two manoeuvres: an apoapsis manoeuvre on 21 January and an approach manoeuvre, scheduled for 26 January. This inbound encounter occurs about three days before Saturn closest approach.
Science Activities
- Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS)
Stellar occultation to study the structure and composition of the atmosphere. A high resolution observation with the goal of identification of geologic features including volcanoes, eolian features, liquids and erosional features due to liquids, and craters - Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS)
T24 features surface temperature maps and composition integrations. The former aim to detect surface temperature variations, while the latter are designed to map the spatial variation of CO, H2O, and HCN via far-infrared rotational lines - Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS)
Several slow scans across Titan's visible hemisphere to form spectral images - Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS)
Extend high-resolution coverage eastward
Table of Events
5 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 13:50:00 | - 23d 17h | Start of sequence S27 which contains Titan-24 |
17 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 21:02:00 | - 11d 10h | Ascending ring plane crossing |
26 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 03:21:00 | - 03d 04h | OTM #91 Prime; Titan-24 minus 3 day targeting manoeuvre |
27 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 03:21:00 | - 02d 04h | OTM #91 Backup |
28 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 12:12:00 | - 19h 03m | Turn cameras to Titan |
| 12:42:00 | - 18h 33m | Deadtime ~19 minutes long; used to accommodate changes in flyby time |
| 13:00:55 | - 18h 15m | Titan atmospheric observations. Obtain information on the thermal structure of Titan's stratosphere |
| 15:15:55 | - 16h 00m | ISS imaging of Titan's nightside |
| 16:15:55 | - 15h 00m | Titan atmospheric observations. Obtain information on trace constituents in Titan's stratosphere |
| 21:15:55 | - 10h 00m | ISS imaging. WAC photometry and NAC global mapping |
| 22:15:55 | - 09h 00m | EUV-FUV imaging. Several slow scans across Titan's visible hemisphere to form spectral images |
29 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 04:15:55 | - 03h 00m | ISS imaging of Titan's nightside |
| 05:15:55 | - 02h 00m | Titan atmospheric observations. Vertical sounding of stratospheric compounds on Titan |
| 06:52:55 | - 00h 23m | Stellar occultation of Gamma Cru |
| 06:58:55 | - 00h 17m | High resolution infrared surface observation. Identification of geologic features, and their correlation with composition |
| 07:15:55 | + 00h 00m | Titan-24 flyby closest approach time. Altitude = 2631 km, speed = 5.8 kms-1; 72° phase at closest approach |
| 07:38:00 | + 00h 23m | Descending ring plane crossing |
| 09:15:55 | + 02h 00m | ISS imaging; NAC regional map |
| 11:15:55 | + 04h 00m | Titan atmospheric observations. Obtain information on surface & tropopause temperatures |
| 12:15:55 | + 05h 00m | Titan atmospheric observations. Obtain information on trace constituents in Titan's stratosphere |
| 21:15:56 | + 14h 00m | Titan atmospheric observations. Obtain information on the thermal structure of Titan's stratosphere |
30 January 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 02:29:55 | + 19h 14m | Deadtime 12 minutes 5 seconds long; used to accommodate changes in flyby time |
| 02:42:00 | + 19h 27m | Turn to Earth-line |
| 03:12:00 | + 19h 57m | Playback of T24 data, Goldstone 70M |
| 12:12:00 | + 01d 05h | End playback of T24 data |
1 February 2007
| Time UTC | Time wrt Titan-24 |
Activity |
| 09:58:00 | + 03d 03h | Saturn periapse, r = 15.6 Rs, lat= -58°, phase = 58° |
Observation Results
Cassini Instrument: Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS)
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Date: 9 March 2007 Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Image Notes: A wide-angle camera view of Titan at 939 nm, revealing the moon's surface. The image was obtained from a distance of ~79 000 km |
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Date: 19 February 2007 Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Image Notes: A wide-angle camera view of Titan's high northern latitudes, revealing a banded pattern encircling the pole, caused by superrotation in the stratosphere |
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Last Update: 1 September 2019
