Cassini-Huygens Fly-By at Titan / ESA TV Live / 27-10-2004

The next transmission of the ESA TV Service will be:

27-Oct-04 04:45 – 07:15 GMT

LIVE: Cassini-Huygens Fly-By at Titan

ESA TV Live

Background information on the transmission:

Since it arrived at Saturn in mid-2004, Cassini has already sent us back fascinating images of Titan, Saturn’s largest satellite. But on 26 October, its cameras will have an infinitely better view. On that day, Cassini-Huygens will flyby Titan, only 1200 km from its surface.
Instruments will then taste the outermost layers of the moon’s atmosphere, and with the first use of the radar, the mission may lift the veil on the true nature of the surface.

Titan closest approach is at 14:44 GMT on 26 October, but without any radio contact to Cassini. Confirmation everything is a success is expected at 01:30 GMT on 27 October, and the first raw high-resolution pictures will be available as approx 05:00 GMT.

There will be two press briefings on 27-28 October to present the first observations and results.

The ESA TV Service will provide a life rebroadcast of NASA’s TV live event showing the first Titan images from the fly-by, and of all three press briefings.

Please note the downlink parameters below. Transmission will be in MCPC, and the channel (1, 2 or 3) has not been assigned at this moment. The Web site will be updated as soon as this information is available. Prior to transmission, colour bars with a Globecast N.Y. ident are transmitted.

More background information can be found on .

Transmission details:Atlantic Bird AB1 @ 12.5 degrees West
Transponder B1,  horizontal, MCPC (channel 1, 2 or 3) F=11.014 MHz, 20.150 MSym/sec, FEC 3/4

For further information, visit our website at http://television.esa.int. For other enquires, contact Claus Habfast, Tel +31 71 565 3838, Fax +31 71 565 6340, e-mail claus.habfast@esa.int.