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Cassini-Huygens Saturn Orbit Insertion Imminent

Posted by simoniker on from the saturnz-return dept.

Anonymous Explorer writes "Fresh off of its fly-by with the Saturnian satellite Phoebe, the Cassini-Huygens craft is set for Saturn Orbit Insertion on June 30, 2004. Cassini-Huygens has a planned four year mission ahead for Saturn and its many moons. With 450 watts of power for the electronics, this mission has plenty enough horses to run the stretch with plenty-o-pep to spare. Thanks to all that power, and the plethora of electronics on Cassini and the Huygens probe, we can now hear sounds from Saturn. Pretty cool stuff! Festivities are scheduled to begin on June 29th with a broadcast of Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Press Conference on Nasa TV. SOI [PDF link] will occur after Cassini fires its main engine for 96 minutes, in order to slow down and be grabbed by the pull of Saturn. As always we extend an invitation to everyone to join #cassini on irc.freenode.net and help us celebrate this historic mission."

10 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. 450 watts? by sirboxalot · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have the same amount of power in my computer's power supply. Something seems fundamentally wrong with that.

    1. Re:450 watts? by falzer · · Score: 5, Funny

      > Something seems fundamentally wrong with that.

      Like watt?

  2. I Wonder... by grunt107 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do the rings make the same noise represented on the Star Trek Voyager intro?

  3. After this insertion... by teamhasnoi · · Score: 5, Funny
    on to Uranus!


    Here, I'll help you out.

    -1, Troll.

  4. Insertion Imminent by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    Alas the only other time geeks encounter this situation is when they plug in a new video card.

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  5. Sounds from Saturn? by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hearing sounds from Saturn is nothing new. My 1997 SL1 (like most old Saturns) is VERY noisy ... you can hear it coming from a mile away. Step on the gas and it sounds like the power steering pump is going to pop through the hood.

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  6. Re:Victory of SCIENCE over ECOIDIOLOGY by Mz6 · · Score: 4, Funny
    "The problem is that we live in a world that is only willing to offer 30 seconds of attention about any subject at a time."

    What are you talking about? It's not like the entire World has ADD or some... Hey, what's that shiny thing over there?

    --
    Hmmm.
  7. Re:Sounds of Martian Life?!! by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 4, Funny
    Hey, Americans have a hard enough time finding Canada on a map. Other planets are WAY beyond that.

    /Yes, I'm hitting on my own gang

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  8. Re:Not even 0.5kilowatts.. by Tenebrious1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    70m antennas are bigger that you might expect.

    What, like 75 meters?


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  9. Let the orbital insertion begin... by Titchener · · Score: 4, Funny

    wakka-chikka-wakka-chikka "Hello Saturn, I'm Cassini-Huygens. I'm here to repair your plumbing."