Cassini's Primary Mission Ends, Two-Year Extension Begins

wooferhound points out recent news that the Cassini probe has completed its original four-year mission and is beginning a two-year extended mission, which was authorized earlier this year. Cassini's first mission brought us a treasure trove of information about Saturn and its various moons. The new mission will target two of those moons in particular for further study: Titan and Enceladus. Quoting: "The spacecraft is extremely healthy and carries 12 instruments powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Data from Cassini's nominal and extended missions could lay the groundwork for possible future missions to Saturn, Titan or Enceladus. [The two moons] are primary targets in the two-year extended mission, dubbed the Cassini Equinox Mission. This time period also will allow for monitoring seasonal effects on Titan and Saturn, exploring new places within Saturn's magnetosphere, and observing the unique ring geometry of the Saturn equinox in August of 2009 when sunlight will pass directly through the plane of the rings."

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Mines of Titan

[Veramocor]

The doors opened with a hiss and I approached the towering desk. The obese
figure of Cornellius Wrak, Controller of Primus, didn't acknowledge mypresence - instead, he tapped a few words on the keyboard to his side and
gazed at the monitor. Checking my records, obviously. I was glad I'd paid that
hacker to clear my police file, or they would've made me a permanent resident
of Titan on the spot.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Jetland?" asked Wrak.

"My ship broke down," I said, "And I had to scrap her. Until I come up with
some money, I'm stuck in this pit you call a city. I heard you Controllers are
offering a shipload of credits to anyone who finds out why we've lost contact
with Proscenium. As I see it, I need the money - you need a favor."

Wrak nodded slowly, eyeing me. "We do need a few skilled agents," he said,
"but we're opening the investigation to all interested parties."

"Too bad," I said, "I hate sharing a reward."

Wraks lips curled back into something like a smile. "Whether you share a
reward or not depends upon how fast you can muster a few warm bodies and get
to Proscenium. But let me warn you, Mr. Jetland, not to take this assignment
too lightly. We don't know what dark fate has befallen Proscenium. You should
worry more about coming back alive..."

-Tom Jetland