I was so happy this morning to read in the news, and then on NASA’s site, that the European Space Agency probe Huygens has landed on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan. Wow! When I first learned of the technical difficulty of that mission, I figured that there was no way they’d pull it off. I am very, very impressed.
About an hour from the time I’m writing this, ESA should start receiving data from Huygens via the Cassini probe, which is orbiting Saturn. Talk about a long-distance call…
For science geeks like me, here’s some information about the Huygens/Cassini communication system. (More about the mission.)
By the way, Science@NASA has started its own excellent podcast – short science stories read by Tony Phillips (I want his job!) This is one of my very favorite online audio shows, I never miss it. It’s a marvel of information, intrigue, enthusiasm, and brevity. I recommend that anyone new to listening to podcasts subscribe to the NASA show. You won’t regret it.
The Dec. 30 edition of Science@NASA, Parachuting to Titan, covers some of the most interesting aspects of the Huygens mission. You can read the full article on that page, but I recommend downloading the MP3 audio file (there’s a link just under the headline) and listen to it.
Huygens is only expected to live on the surface 2.5 hours… So as I write this, it’s probably already stopped functioning. Farewell, Huygens, and thanks for all your hard work. I look forward to hearing your tales of Titan.
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