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Titan Flyby - 29 January 2007

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)

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

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

Last Update: 1 September 2019
3-Dec-2024 09:00 UT

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https://sci.esa.int/s/AqBmqOw

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