November 1 - 4:00pm Phys 223
(Coffee at 3:30p.m. in room 242)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
October 15th, 1997 saw the end of an era with the launch of the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan. Cassini/Huygens is, my any measure, the most ambitious planetary mission to be launched--and with NASA's decree that future missions be "faster, better, and cheaper," it is unlikely we will see missions as ambitious as Cassini/Huygens in the foreseeable future. From 1 October 2000 until 31 March 2001, Cassini was in range of the planet Jupiter, using the gravity of the giant planet as a slingshot for the last leg of the journey to Saturn. While at Jupiter, Cassini performed an elaborate suite of science observations, and, in concert with the Galileo orbiter, sent back an unprecedented amount of new data on the largest planet in the Solar System. In July 2004, the Cassini orbiter arrives in the Saturnian system, and will spend four years studying the planet--it's rings, satellites, and magnetic environment--while the Huygens probe will make in situ measurements of the satellite Titan.
Purdue physics graduate Kevin Grazier currently hold the duel titles of Imaging Science Subsystem Investigation Scientist, and Science Planning Engineer for the mission. He will provide an overview of Jupiter science results, the Saturn mission, and science objectives.
http://people.we.mediaone.net/grazier/index.html
http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/
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