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Le réveil d’Huygens   This artist's concept of the Cassini-Huygens orbiter shows the Huygens probe separating to enter Titan's atmosphere. After separation, the probe drifts for about three weeks until reaching its destination, Titan. Equipped with a variety of scientific sensors, the Huygens probe will spend 2-2.5 hours descending through Titan's dense, murky atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon-based molecules, beaming its findings to the distant Cassini orbiter overhead. The probe could continue to relay information for up to 30 minutes after it lands on Titan's frigid surface, after which the orbiter passes beneath the horizon as seen from the probe. Réactiver les batteries  Cross-sectional view of the Huygens probe showing the scientific instruments and upper platforms nested in the descent module, itself protected by the front shield and back cover. 7, 13 voire 22 ans pour toucher au but  Huygens' Descent Module (DM) is shown attached to the rear of the Front Shield, which will protect the DM from the intense heat of atmospheric entry. On the upper surface can be seen the two redundant antennas (black) that will transmit scientific data back to the Cassini Orbiter travelling past Titan at almost 6 km/s at a distance of 75000 - 25000 km during the 2-2 1/2 hr of the descent. The three attachment points for the parachute bridles are located around the periphery; from them, the Kevlar bridles lead to the rectangular box where both the main 'chute and the smaller stabiliser are stored during the 6.7-year cruise. The central, aluminium-coloured canister contains the explosive mortar that will initiate the parachute descent at the end of the entry phase (speed Mach 1.4) by firing a small deployment chute through a membrane, in the centre of the Back Cover (left), which is itself then detached by the parachute's drag. From launch until Titan descent, the Back Cover and Front Shield cocoon the DM. The gold-coloured multi-layer insulation blankets will provide benign thermal conditions inside, both at Venus (0.6 AU) and Saturn (9 AU). Images 'Descent module', 'Shield insulation', 'CD-ROM' show the final integration of the Huygens Probe at DASA Space Systems in Ottobrun, Germany. Premier aperçu de Titan  Using near-infrared light, these images reveal the surface with unusual clarity. This colour image shows a false-colour combination of three previous images taken with different colour filters. The yellow areas correspond to the hydrocarbon-rich regions, while the green areas are the icier regions. Here, the methane cloud appears white, as it is bright in all three colours. A circular feature that may be a crater is visible in the north. Dernières consignes de vol  ESA's Huygens was the first spacecraft to land on a world in the outer Solar System. In January 2005, it landed on the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, and the only moon in the Solar System to possess a thick atmosphere.
The gold-coloured foil blanket helped to control the probe's temperature during the interplanetary cruise phase. The heat-resistant tiles covering the front shield are hidden underneath the foil and provided protection against the very high temperatures that are generated during the entry into Titan's atmosphere. Release date: 2 septembre 2004 |