NASA Cassini Significant Events for 01/22/2014 – 01/28/2014
Cassini is orbiting Saturn with a 31.9-day period in a plane inclined 50.1 degrees from the planet’s equatorial plane. The most recent spacecraft tracking and telemetry data were obtained on Jan. 29 using one of the 34-meter diameter Deep Space Network (DSN) stations at Goldstone, California. Except for the science instrument issues described in previous reports (for more information search the Cassini website for CAPS and USO), the spacecraft continues to be in an excellent state of health with all of its subsystems operating normally. Information on the present position of the Cassini spacecraft may be found on “Eyes on the Solar System” at
Wednesday, Jan. 22 (DOY 022)
The Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observed the reddish star L2 Puppis being occulted by Saturn’s rings for 16 hours.
Thursday, Jan. 23 (DOY 023)
The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) spent an hour performing an observation in the Satellite Orbit Campaign, looking at and for small objects near Saturn.
Friday, Jan. 24 (DOY 024)
ISS, VIMS, and the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) performed an observation in the Titan monitoring campaign from a distance of 2.9 million kilometers. CIRS then spent twelve hours trained on Saturn’s atmosphere to better define its composition. Finally, VIMS made a two-minute Saturn storm-watch observation on the planet.
Saturday, Jan. 25 (DOY 025)
Today was the flight team’s prime opportunity to execute Orbit Trim Maneuver (OTM)-369, the Titan T-98 targeting maneuver. Based on the latest tracking data from the DSN and the Cassini Navigation team’s orbit-determination solutions, the team deemed the OTM unnecessary, and it was cancelled. The final approach maneuver, OTM-370 on Jan. 29, will accomplish all of the trajectory’s fine-tuning on approach to Titan.
Sunday, Jan. 26 (DOY 026)
ISS, CIRS and VIMS performed another Titan monitoring observation, this one from 2.4 million kilometers away. ISS then carried out another satellite orbit observation.
Monday, Jan. 27 (DOY 027)
ISS watched the curious bright segment, or arc, of material in Saturn’s sparse G ring for 13 and one quarter hours while it was sunlit at low phase angles. This arc revolves around the planet once in about 19 hours, in a 7:6 resonance with the satellite Mimas.
An image featured today shows Saturn’s satellite Prometheus, which orbits inward of the bright and narrow F ring. In the image, this elongated moon is demonstrating its natural gravity-gradient (“tidal”) alignment with the planet:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4963
Tuesday, Jan. 28 (DOY 028)
The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) controlled the spacecraft’s pointing for 13 and a half hours to capture and observe dust particles that orbit in the retrograde direction about Saturn.
Visit the JPL Cassini home page for more information about the Cassini Project: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/
