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Huygens (spacecraft)

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Huygens spaceprobe
A replica of the Huygens probe
Mission typeLander
OperatorESA / ASI / NASA
COSPAR ID1997-061C
WebsiteHuygens home page
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerThales Alenia Space (then Aérospatiale)[1]
BOL mass320 kg (710 lb)
Power1800 Wh total
Start of mission
Launch date08:42, October 15, 1997 (UTC) (08:42, October 15, 1997 (UTC))
RocketTitan IV(401)B piggybacking with Cassini orbiter
Deployment dateDecember 25, 2004
End of mission
Last contact13:37, January 14, 2005 (UTC) (2005-01-14T13:37Z)
Landing date12:43, January 14, 2005 (UTC)
Titan lander
Landing date12:43, January 14, 2005 (SCET UTC)
Landing site10°34′23″S 192°20′06″W / 10.573°S 192.335°W / -10.573; -192.335 (Huygens probe)[2]
 

Huygens was a space probe that landed on Titan, a moon of Saturn, in 2005. It was launched with the Cassini probe in 1997. The probe was named after Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch astronomer who discovered Titan.[3] Huygens was the first probe to land on Titan and the farthest place a probe has ever landed.[4]

Overview

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Construction

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Huygens during construction

Huygens was built by Aérospatiale in France, now part of Thales Alenia Space. The heat shield was made near Bordeaux by Aérospatiale, now part of Airbus Defence and Space. Martin-Baker Space Systems made the parachute systems and other parts to help it land. IRVIN-GQ designed the parachutes and worked on the landing system with Martin-Baker.

In space

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First image of the surface of Titan's surface

On October 15, 1997, the Cassini spacecraft was launched. The Huygens probe was attached to it. On December 25, 2004, the Huygens probe left Cassini and traveled to Titan.

On January 14, 2005, the Huygens probe landed on Titan. It bounced and slid to a stop, finding pebbles made of water ice on an orange surface with methane haze. Huygens' pictures showed rivers of liquid methane, drainage channels, and dry lakebeds, which means there was recent liquid activity. While no permanent lakes were found at the landing site, later data from the Cassini mission showed lakes in Titan's polar regions.

Huygens found the surface to be like damp sand made of ice grains, with rounded rocks and pebbles indicating fluid action. The temperature was very cold at 93.8 K (−179.3 °C; −290.8 °F), with methane making up 5% of the atmosphere. The light on Titan was much dimmer than on Earth, with an orange sky due to Titan's haze. After 90 minutes, Huygens stopped sending data, even though it was designed to last longer.[5][6]

Landing site of the Huygens probe:

The red cross marks the landing site of Huygens. The bright region to the right is Xanadu Region.

References

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  1. "HUYGENS".
  2. Kazeminejad, Bobby (May 2011). "Titan's new pole: Implications for the Huygens entry and descent trajectory and landing coordinates". Advances in Space Research. 47 (9): 1622–1632. Bibcode:2011AdSpR..47.1622K. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2011.01.019. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  3. "Solstice Mission Overview". NASA. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  4. Rincon, Paul (January 15, 2005). "Huygens sends first Titan images". BBC News. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  5. "HUYGENS: THE TOP 10 DISCOVERIES AT TITAN". European Space Agency. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  6. Tomasko, M. G.; Archinal, B.; Becker, T.; Bézard, B.; Bushroe, M.; Combes, M.; Cook, D.; Coustenis, A.; De Bergh, C.; Dafoe, L. E.; Doose, L.; Douté, S.; Eibl, A.; Engel, S.; Gliem, F.; Grieger, B.; Holso, K.; Howington-Kraus, E.; Karkoschka, E.; Keller, H. U.; Kirk, R.; Kramm, R.; Küppers, M.; Lanagan, P.; Lellouch, E.; Lemmon, M.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; McFarlane, E.; Moores, J.; et al. (2005). "Rain, winds and haze during the Huygens probe's descent to Titan's surface". Nature. 438 (7069): 765–778. Bibcode:2005Natur.438..765T. doi:10.1038/nature04126. PMID 16319829. S2CID 4414457.