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SCIENCE - Introduction
When considering such a complex, collaborative effort as the Cassini-Huygens mission,
one might ask the question; "Why build it in the first place?"
The answer comes even before the mission's conception. At the beginning, a basic
set of science goals are illustrated in a detailed, comprehensive mission plan that
scientists hope to achieve and bring to the public at large.
In this case, through Cassini we hope to gain a better understanding of the planet
Saturn, its famous rings, its magnetosphere, its principal moon Titan and its other
moons or "icy satellites."
Along with extensive preparation, planning and tracking throughout the mission,
science objectives are divided into two parts: The goals that occur on the way to
the ringed planet, and then those that will occur after the mission's arrival at
the Saturnian system.
En Route to Saturn:
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Cassini-Huygens on the launch pad
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To ensure all instruments
onboard the spacecraft are working properly, checks were performed via remote control at
launch time as well as after 14 months in space. This includes routine instrument maintenance,
Gravitational Wave Experiments,
instrument calibrations, and conjunction experiments
for a time period of at least 30 days. These objectives are to prepare Cassini for its
upcoming tour of Saturn.
There are 12 instruments onboard the Cassini Spacecraft orbiter, and
6 instruments onboard the Huygens Probe. These instruments
are all designed to perform
in-situ (on-site) studies of elements of Saturn, its atmosphere, moons, rings and magnetosphere.
The instruments will study temperatures, plasma levels, neutral and charged particles,
compositions of surfaces, atmospheres and rings, solar wind, and even dust grains in the
Saturn system. Other instruments will also perform spectral mapping for high-quality images
of the ringed planet, its moons, and rings.
The sophistication of the design and implementation of the instruments onboard the spacecraft create many other
benefits, including the potential for technology spin-offs into the commercial world, international cooperation
and education and discovery for people of all ages.
This section illustrates in detail all of the important science objectives for the
Cassini-Huygens mission after its arrival at Saturn.
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