Saturn Research Paper

Words: 901
Pages: 4

Of the objects in this solar system, Saturn, its rings and moons are some of the most interesting. Prior to the launch of the Cassini Mission, little was known about Saturn; due mostly in part to how far Saturn is from Earth. Granted, two prior missions flew by Saturn; none had successfully entered the orbit of Saturn until July 2004 (Munsell). Since then, more information about Saturn, Titan- largest moon of Saturn, the rings and other moons has been discovered. The main point of the mission was to learn more about Titan. That has been accomplished. Now the jointed controlled mission by NASA, ESA, and ASI plan to have another extension to the already extended Cassini Mission. The Cassini Mission launched from the Earth October 15, …show more content…
With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth, several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere. Titan is of great interest to scientists because it has a substantial, active atmosphere and complex, Earth-like processes that shape its surface. The moon is enveloped by an orange haze of naturally produced photochemical smog that frustratingly obscured its surface prior to Cassini's arrival. Since 2004, the spacecraft's observations have taken the study of this unique world into a whole new dimension …show more content…
“A complete seasonal period on Saturn has never been studied at this level of detail. The Solstice mission schedule calls for an additional 155 orbits around the planet, 54 flybys of Titan and 11 flybys of the icy moon Enceladus. An alien spacecraft dispatched to Earth could gain much greater insight into our planet’s workings by observing seasonal changes in the atmosphere, oceans and land. The situation is similar at Saturn. With a healthy spacecraft and a powerful suite of instruments, Cassini scientists will continue to monitor the changing seasons on Titan and Saturn (Piazza 1). The main objective of this mission is to answer questions that have come to light since the entire mission began:
The Cassini Solstice Mission is guided by a basic set of science goals that address major scientific questions about the planet, its magnetosphere and rings, Titan and the other icy moons. Scientists hope to learn answers to many questions that have developed during the course of the mission, including why Saturn seems to have an inconsistent rotation rate and how a probable subsurface ocean feeds Enceladus' jets (Piazza