ESA Science & Technology - Titan Fly-by - 21 May 2009

This encounter is set up with two manoeuvres: an apoapsis manoeuvre on 13 May, and a Titan approach manoeuvre, scheduled for 18 May. T55 is the fourth flyby in a series of eleven inbound encounters and the eleventh Titan encounter in Cassini's Equinox Mission. It occurs just over three days before Saturn closest approach.

Science Highlights

• Cassini Radar (RADAR)
  The SAR swath sweeps down across the Shangri-La dunefields and into high Southern latitudes on Titan. This begins a sequence of near-parallel SAR swaths HiSAR north of Xanadu and over southern polar regions.
• Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS)
  On T55, INMS will be riding with RADAR, obtaining unique nightside coverage at low Southern latitudes. This fly-by provides unique coverage for the outer flank of Titan's magnetospheric interaction region.
• Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS)
  During T55 CIRS will perform surface temperature mapping; continued composition integrations and obtain stratospheric temperature maps.
• Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS)
  On the inbound leg, the phase angle is much larger than 90° and VIMS ridealong observations will provide information on Titan's atmospheric composition. After closest approach, VIMS will observe from great distances Titan's South Pole region, riding along with CIRS. Only cloud monitoring will be possible.
• Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS)
  ISS will acquire a full-disk mosaic of eastern Tsegihi at high southern latitudes and ride along with CIRS to monitor clouds.
• Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS)
  UVIS will obtain an image cube of Titan's atmosphere at extreme-, and far-ultraviolet wavelengths by sweeping its slit across the disk. These cubes provide spectral and spatial information on nitrogen emissions, H emission and absorption, absorption by simple hydrocarbons, and the scattering properties of haze aerosols. This is one of many such cubes gathered over the course of the mission to provide latitude and seasonal coverage of Titan's middle atmosphere and stratosphere.
• Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI)
  MIMI will measure energetic ion and electron energy input to Titan's atmosphere.
• Dual Technique Magnetometer (MAG)
  T55 is another flank-out, post-dusk fly-by, with a minimum altitude of 965 kilometres. Therefore, the measurements will provide a description of the draping and the pileup of the external magnetic field around Titan on the nightside hemisphere. It will be also a good complement to T52, T53 and T54 in order to characterize the background field for a similar local time with respect to Saturn and different SKR longitudes.
• Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS)
  RPWS will measure thermal plasmas in Titan's ionosphere and surrounding environment, search for lightning in Titan's atmosphere, and investigate the interaction of Titan with Saturn's magnetosphere.
  

Table of Events

5 May 2009

18 May 2009

19 May 2009

21 May 2009

22 May 2009

23 May 2009

Observation Results

Cassini Instrument: Cassini Radar (RADAR) 

Release Date: 10 June 2009 Credit: NASA/JPL Image Notes: This 225 by 636 km view shows a pattern of dunes likely consisting of sand-sized particles made of organic material, shaped by local weather/terrain.
Release Date: 10 June 2009 Credit: NASA/JPL Image Notes: A 335 by 289 km view of a complex canyon system, likely carved into older terrain by the ample flow of liquid methane rivers; centred at 71°S, 240°W.

Cassini Instrument: Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) 

Release Date: 1 July 2009 Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Image Notes: Wide-angle camera image over Titan's northern hemisphere, taken in violet light, revealing the hazes in the upper atmosphere as a thin halo around the moon
Release Date: 23 July 2009 Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Image Notes: Near-infrared view of Titan with a 938 nm filter, looking toward Fensal and Aztlan, two dark areas near the equator. North is up, 38° counter-clockwise.