Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
(OP)
See the orbital sample tour at htt p://en.wik ipedia.org /wiki/Cass ini%E2%80% 93Huygens# Trajectory .
I assume there was a significant burn by Cassini for orbital insertion (and maybe a small one when Huygens departed), but what has given the complexity it its orbital path since? Is it gravitational interactions with the moons?
I assume there was a significant burn by Cassini for orbital insertion (and maybe a small one when Huygens departed), but what has given the complexity it its orbital path since? Is it gravitational interactions with the moons?





RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
WP says the orbital insertion needed a speed change of 662 m/s. Maybe the amount of changes since is well within their means.
Apropos of which, does anyone have a guess as to the mass of fuel needed for a 600+ m/s change on something weighing a couple of tons?
htt
A few other websites look informative (maybe h
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
http://www.braeunig.us/space/propel.htm
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
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RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
h
Say half Cassini's fuel load of three tons was left before insertion, that gives a total mass of 3500 kg (was three tons of fuel at launch + two ton spacecraft).
The velocity change was 662 m/s (WP), v = at => a = 662/5760 = 0.128 m/s^2.
f = ma => f = 3500*0.128 = 448 N = 101 lbf.
With a specific impulse (?) of 280 lbf/lbm * s => lbm = 101*5760/280 = 2080 lb of fuel used...? (Ignores mass change as fuel is used; it'd probably be nearer 1750 lbm.)
Other websites make it pretty clear that most of the orbital changes are done by moons' gravity, with nudges from motors to get in the right place, particularly http:
Thx.
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
Um, dunno why that's all that sad, the bird will be pretty much out of fuel, and batteries/solar cells quite degraded by that time, so useful data return from the spacecraft will be fairly minimal. The data on Saturn's atmosphere from aero entry maneuver will be quite valuable. Similar operation was done with Magellan probe to Venus, and gave a lot of surprising info. regarding that planet's atmosphere. Enough that future missions will likely use the data to plan aerobraking maneuvers, which will help save fuel and allow extending mission durations. Aerobraking was looked at for Cassini, but I believe rejected because of uncertainties in Titan and Saturn atmospheres.
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?
RE: Cause of complexity of Cassini's orbit round Saturn?