Cassini's last year at Saturn

[StupidAndy]

so this will be the final year for Cassini at Saturn, and at some time in 2017, it will plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn, burning up and crunching like a tin can

what do you think Cassini will find out in the final year at Saturn, and when will a new mission to Saturn be created?

[Ultimate Steve]

3 minutes ago, StupidAndy said:

so this will be the final year for Cassini at Saturn, and at some time in 2017, it will plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn, burning up and crunching like a tin can

what do you think Cassini will find out in the final year at Saturn, and when will a new mission to Saturn be created?

As far as discoveries, nobody can predict that. But if I had to guess, with wishful thinking, I hope we discover something on one of the moons. And I hope we get at least one picture from inside* Saturn's atmosphere.

When will we go back to Saturn? Who can tell. Sometime in the next twenty or so years something will be launched. My guess is either a polar orbiter or a mission to Titan. Or, if we're lucky, a ring sample return. As far as who will launch it, I think NASA has the biggest chance of launching one. In a three way tie for second, I'd say SpaceX, Russia, or China. If it is SpaceX, it would be a Titan version of the Red Dragon or maybe just a small payload (The Falcon Heavy in theory can send super light stuff to Pluto, so Saturn should be easier than that). If Russia does it, my guess is that it would be an orbiter. If it is China, or Japan or India or one of those other countries, my money would be on a flyby or impactor.

 

If I was in charge of the space program, I'd send an atmospheric probe into the polar hexagon.

[lajoswinkler]

Ring sample return? No, just no.

 

At best, we'll see another orbiter in the next 30 years. I'd like to see a Titan orbiter and a better lander, but I sincerely doubt that will happen during my lifetime.

[daniel l.]

My biggest frustration is that they could have instead decided to send Cassini to Uranus. And orbit there for a few more years. It had the fuel for a slow cruise over to it. Then we would have hi-res pictures of all the Uranian moons and close observation of the unique weather patterns of the planet. Not to mention how awesome it would be.

[Val]

2 hours ago, daniel l. said:

My biggest frustration is that they could have instead decided to send Cassini to Uranus. And orbit there for a few more years. It had the fuel for a slow cruise over to it. Then we would have hi-res pictures of all the Uranian moons and close observation of the unique weather patterns of the planet. Not to mention how awesome it would be.

Maybe it's because of transfer windows?

According the Hohmann.xls here: http://clowder.net/hop/railroad/sched.html

Then next transfer window from Saturn is in 2025, with arrival at Uranus in 2052.

Will the RTG on Cassini last that long?

There seem to be a transfer window to Neptune in 2017, but sadly with arrival at Neptune in 2061.

[daniel l.]

8 minutes ago, Val said:

Maybe it's because of transfer windows?

According the the Hohmann.xls here: http://clowder.net/hop/railroad/sched.html

Then next transfer window from Saturn is in 2025, with arrival at Uranus in 2052.

Will the RTG on Cassini last that long?

There seem te be a transfer window to Neptune in 2017, but sadly with arrival at Neptune in 2061.

I guess it might be a farce, But it would still be cool at least to park the thing in a stable orbit so it can be recovered someday. Why do they always make such historical vessel self destruct? When they should be put in a graveyard orbit to await recovery.

[Bill Phil]

27 minutes ago, daniel l. said:

I guess it might be a farce, But it would still be cool at least to park the thing in a stable orbit so it can be recovered someday. Why do they always make such historical vessel self destruct? When they should be put in a graveyard orbit to await recovery.

It could contaminate other celestial bodies.

[daniel l.]

6 minutes ago, Bill Phil said:

It could contaminate other celestial bodies.

Not if you find a stable orbit. Those moons are all stable, Why not a little probe?

[Wjolcz]

;_;

A Titan Sea Explorer mission would be pretty awesome. Cassini did some great stuff at Saturn. For now I'm waiting for the Red Dragon landing and Europa Clipper and lander in the next few years.

And I don't think Cassini will be able to take and send any pictures from the atmosphere tbh. They will probably keep the bandwidth for more important things like density and chemistry scans, magnetometer and stuff like that. Besides, I'm not sure if the cameras and mirrors on them are able to withstand the reentry acceleration. It would probably be pointless even if they would work during reentry anyway.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Veeltch

[Starman4308]

5 minutes ago, daniel l. said:

Not if you find a stable orbit. Those moons are all stable, Why not a little probe?

There is no such thing as a 100% stable orbit, and real life doesn't operate on an X% recovery mechanic; all the instruments were designed to transmit 100% of their data. There is some historic significance, yes, but that was outweighed by making absolutely sure Cassini wouldn't contaminate one of Saturn's moons.

[magnemoe]

19 minutes ago, daniel l. said:

Not if you find a stable orbit. Those moons are all stable, Why not a little probe?

They probably don't have enough fuel to put it in an stable orbit, had they had the fuel they would extend the mission. 
 

[Tullius]

3 hours ago, daniel l. said:

Not if you find a stable orbit. Those moons are all stable, Why not a little probe?

What is the point of having a collection of scrap metal orbiting Saturn? Letting it impact Saturn is easily achieved and perfectly safe.

And as a cherry on top, the last orbits have such a shape that they will be able to gather science unachievable otherwise.

[Bill Phil]

17 hours ago, daniel l. said:

Not if you find a stable orbit. Those moons are all stable, Why not a little probe

<insert comment here. Val>

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

A Titan sub, I hope

[insert_name]

I believe one of the proposals for new frontiers 4 is a Saturn atmosphere probe and flyby

[cubinator]

I think Elon Musk wants to send an ITS there. Not sure when, though.

[StupidAndy]

well Elon Musk wants to send an ITS everywhere so...

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, StupidAndy said:

well Elon Musk wants to send an ITS everywhere so...

Send an ITS to another ITS.

ITSCEPTION

[StupidAndy]

yes...

[magnemoe]

58 minutes ago, Aperture Science said:

Send an ITS to another ITS.

ITSCEPTION

Or an very common mission type in KSP, the rescue mission

[Starman4308]

2 hours ago, magnemoe said:

Or an very common mission type in KSP, the rescue mission

And so is rescueception.

Granted, these days, I don't do much of that, on account of testing every single manned platform in an unmanned test flight first, which A, discovers the problems, and B, makes sure the rescue vehicle is itself unmanned.

[kerbiloid]

Wily Voyagers happily escaped before somebody realized that they should be smashed into something, too.

_{They will be affiants for the High Court of Intergalactic Robot Empire and tell that humans intentionally kill robots.}

Edited November 24, 2016 by kerbiloid

[StupidAndy]

On 11/24/2016 at 7:49 AM, kerbiloid said:

They will be affiants for the High Court of Intergalactic Robot Empire and tell that humans intentionally kill robots.

why do some people think the voyagers have turned sapient? and why does that have to do with anything! there over a trillion miles away and gaining!

they cant do anything to the human race anymore

besides make a virus and send it to the mainframe of the human computer core

other then that nothing!

[Ultimate Steve]

I mean, this is technically an old thread, but it is still relevant.

T-1 month. Goodbye, Cassini, you have served us well.

EDIT: *Begins playing "The Final Countdown" on repeat*

Edited August 17, 2017 by Ultimate Steve

[Ultimate Steve]

T-15 days. *Final Countdown intensifies*