1 00:00:07,349 --> 00:00:05,430 hello and welcome to nasa's jet 2 00:00:09,589 --> 00:00:07,359 propulsion laboratory in pasadena 3 00:00:11,910 --> 00:00:09,599 california i'm preston dykes 4 00:00:13,669 --> 00:00:11,920 well we are at the end of an era in 5 00:00:15,910 --> 00:00:13,679 planetary exploration 6 00:00:18,310 --> 00:00:15,920 in less than two days nasa's cassini 7 00:00:20,550 --> 00:00:18,320 spacecraft will make a fateful final 8 00:00:22,310 --> 00:00:20,560 plunge into the atmosphere of saturn 9 00:00:25,189 --> 00:00:22,320 collecting data until the very last 10 00:00:26,790 --> 00:00:25,199 moment as it ends its 13-year tour of 11 00:00:28,390 --> 00:00:26,800 the saturn system 12 00:00:29,990 --> 00:00:28,400 the purpose of our briefing today is to 13 00:00:32,549 --> 00:00:30,000 provide background on how we got here 14 00:00:34,709 --> 00:00:32,559 with cassini along with preparations for 15 00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:34,719 the final plunge and some of the science 16 00:00:39,190 --> 00:00:35,920 that the cassini team helps to 17 00:00:41,350 --> 00:00:39,200 accomplish as cassini heads into saturn 18 00:00:42,950 --> 00:00:41,360 our participants for the briefing today 19 00:00:44,869 --> 00:00:42,960 are 20 00:00:46,549 --> 00:00:44,879 from nasa headquarters in washington the 21 00:00:49,350 --> 00:00:46,559 director of nasa's planetary science 22 00:00:51,110 --> 00:00:49,360 division jim green 23 00:00:54,709 --> 00:00:51,120 up next we have the program manager for 24 00:00:56,630 --> 00:00:54,719 cassini here at jpl earl mays 25 00:00:59,349 --> 00:00:56,640 to his left the cassini project 26 00:01:02,069 --> 00:00:59,359 scientist linda spilker 27 00:01:03,910 --> 00:01:02,079 and finally team lead for cassini's ion 28 00:01:06,469 --> 00:01:03,920 and neutral mass spectrometer instrument 29 00:01:10,469 --> 00:01:06,479 or inms from southwest research 30 00:01:12,230 --> 00:01:10,479 institute in san antonio hunter weight 31 00:01:14,149 --> 00:01:12,240 all right a reminder to reporters dialed 32 00:01:15,990 --> 00:01:14,159 in on the phones please dial star one to 33 00:01:17,270 --> 00:01:16,000 get in the queue to ask a question and 34 00:01:19,190 --> 00:01:17,280 members of the public as well as the 35 00:01:22,070 --> 00:01:19,200 media can ask questions online via 36 00:01:23,590 --> 00:01:22,080 twitter using the hashtag asknasa and 37 00:01:26,789 --> 00:01:23,600 with that let's turn it over to jim to 38 00:01:28,310 --> 00:01:26,799 get started thank you very much preston 39 00:01:29,590 --> 00:01:28,320 you know we're here at a very historic 40 00:01:31,670 --> 00:01:29,600 time 41 00:01:34,469 --> 00:01:31,680 but it really started with the voyagers 42 00:01:36,550 --> 00:01:34,479 voyager one and two is uh as we see here 43 00:01:37,590 --> 00:01:36,560 in the in the auditorium a full-scale 44 00:01:38,710 --> 00:01:37,600 voyager 45 00:01:41,109 --> 00:01:38,720 passing 46 00:01:42,870 --> 00:01:41,119 through the saturn system 47 00:01:45,270 --> 00:01:42,880 begging us to go back 48 00:01:48,230 --> 00:01:45,280 and of course in 2004 49 00:01:50,950 --> 00:01:48,240 cassini made it to the saturn system and 50 00:01:52,710 --> 00:01:50,960 as you can see cassini this is a smaller 51 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:52,720 scale model but if you can imagine the 52 00:01:56,950 --> 00:01:55,520 antenna size on voyager being the same 53 00:02:00,550 --> 00:01:56,960 as cassini 54 00:02:03,830 --> 00:02:00,560 this is a very capable large 55 00:02:05,190 --> 00:02:03,840 spacecraft that has been making fabulous 56 00:02:07,670 --> 00:02:05,200 measurements 57 00:02:08,869 --> 00:02:07,680 within the saturn system my first slide 58 00:02:11,110 --> 00:02:08,879 please 59 00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:11,120 of course saturn one of the 60 00:02:16,390 --> 00:02:14,160 beautiful gas giants in our solar system 61 00:02:18,470 --> 00:02:16,400 with the beautiful rings but studying 62 00:02:21,030 --> 00:02:18,480 the planet itself has been incredibly 63 00:02:22,949 --> 00:02:21,040 important the cloud dynamics and the 64 00:02:24,390 --> 00:02:22,959 storms that occurred and in fact while 65 00:02:26,630 --> 00:02:24,400 cassini was there 66 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:26,640 a storm that lasted more than nine 67 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:29,680 months raged in its northern hemisphere 68 00:02:33,670 --> 00:02:31,440 next slide please 69 00:02:34,550 --> 00:02:33,680 of course as we were able to get to 70 00:02:36,550 --> 00:02:34,560 higher 71 00:02:38,790 --> 00:02:36,560 latitudes we were able to look down at 72 00:02:40,550 --> 00:02:38,800 the polar region and see other 73 00:02:43,589 --> 00:02:40,560 spectacular things 74 00:02:45,990 --> 00:02:43,599 the hint of this hexagon pattern on the 75 00:02:48,470 --> 00:02:46,000 north pole was really observed first by 76 00:02:51,670 --> 00:02:48,480 the voyagers but we're now back to see 77 00:02:53,509 --> 00:02:51,680 that up close and personal the size of 78 00:02:55,990 --> 00:02:53,519 this whole hexagon 79 00:02:57,430 --> 00:02:56,000 which is actually a jet stream on the 80 00:03:01,830 --> 00:02:57,440 outer rim of it 81 00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:01,840 is about twice the size of our earth 82 00:03:06,149 --> 00:03:04,000 in addition to that we had opportunities 83 00:03:08,790 --> 00:03:06,159 to begin to look at the moons 84 00:03:10,309 --> 00:03:08,800 and here other surprises were well in 85 00:03:12,229 --> 00:03:10,319 store for us 86 00:03:13,910 --> 00:03:12,239 as seen in this image 87 00:03:16,390 --> 00:03:13,920 this is enceladus 88 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:16,400 this is a small moon just outside the 89 00:03:20,949 --> 00:03:19,120 rings of saturn and what we thought was 90 00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:20,959 an icy ball 91 00:03:25,509 --> 00:03:23,280 when we observed the southern hemisphere 92 00:03:29,110 --> 00:03:25,519 and geysers of water 93 00:03:33,190 --> 00:03:29,120 spewing out into the saturn system it 94 00:03:36,550 --> 00:03:33,200 amazed us and began changing the way we 95 00:03:38,229 --> 00:03:36,560 view the habitability or potential 96 00:03:41,350 --> 00:03:38,239 habitability 97 00:03:42,869 --> 00:03:41,360 of moons in the outer part of our solar 98 00:03:44,710 --> 00:03:42,879 system 99 00:03:46,869 --> 00:03:44,720 my next image 100 00:03:48,390 --> 00:03:46,879 of course is the beautiful 101 00:03:50,070 --> 00:03:48,400 titan 102 00:03:51,910 --> 00:03:50,080 this moon is 103 00:03:52,949 --> 00:03:51,920 bigger than the 104 00:03:54,710 --> 00:03:52,959 planet 105 00:03:56,949 --> 00:03:54,720 mercury 106 00:03:58,789 --> 00:03:56,959 it has a atmosphere twice our 107 00:04:02,149 --> 00:03:58,799 atmospheric pressure 108 00:04:04,949 --> 00:04:02,159 if it was orbiting the sun and not 109 00:04:07,750 --> 00:04:04,959 saturn we would call it a planet 110 00:04:10,550 --> 00:04:07,760 it's truly a magnificent body the 111 00:04:13,750 --> 00:04:10,560 voyagers could only see 112 00:04:15,910 --> 00:04:13,760 the haziness of this beautiful object 113 00:04:17,990 --> 00:04:15,920 but with cassini our ability to 114 00:04:19,270 --> 00:04:18,000 penetrate through that haze with our 115 00:04:21,430 --> 00:04:19,280 radars 116 00:04:24,629 --> 00:04:21,440 and seeing what the surface structures 117 00:04:26,629 --> 00:04:24,639 and features are and the issa huygens 118 00:04:27,590 --> 00:04:26,639 probe going all the way down to the 119 00:04:30,310 --> 00:04:27,600 surface 120 00:04:32,950 --> 00:04:30,320 revolutionized our understanding of this 121 00:04:35,110 --> 00:04:32,960 spectacular moon 122 00:04:38,629 --> 00:04:35,120 this is the only other body in the solar 123 00:04:41,749 --> 00:04:38,639 system that has liquid on its surface 124 00:04:43,030 --> 00:04:41,759 its seas are about the size of our own 125 00:04:44,870 --> 00:04:43,040 black sea 126 00:04:48,629 --> 00:04:44,880 now they're not full of water but 127 00:04:51,749 --> 00:04:48,639 they're full of liquid methane 128 00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:51,759 this is a spectacular world in its own 129 00:04:55,430 --> 00:04:53,520 right 130 00:04:56,550 --> 00:04:55,440 next slide please 131 00:04:59,510 --> 00:04:56,560 of course 132 00:05:01,830 --> 00:04:59,520 saturn has more than 60 moons can't see 133 00:05:04,469 --> 00:05:01,840 them all but we saw approximately two 134 00:05:06,710 --> 00:05:04,479 dozen of them in addition to 135 00:05:08,950 --> 00:05:06,720 enceladus and titan 136 00:05:12,550 --> 00:05:08,960 beautiful moons with all sorts of 137 00:05:14,950 --> 00:05:12,560 structures those that even in fact 138 00:05:17,110 --> 00:05:14,960 modify the structure of the rings 139 00:05:19,670 --> 00:05:17,120 creating divisions 140 00:05:22,469 --> 00:05:19,680 are elements that accrete material and 141 00:05:23,350 --> 00:05:22,479 we begin to see all those processes up 142 00:05:25,590 --> 00:05:23,360 close 143 00:05:28,870 --> 00:05:25,600 and personal 144 00:05:30,390 --> 00:05:28,880 but one of the real stars of the show is 145 00:05:37,430 --> 00:05:30,400 titan 146 00:05:39,830 --> 00:05:37,440 about 20 saturn radii away from saturn 147 00:05:42,710 --> 00:05:39,840 allows us to use the very basic 148 00:05:46,070 --> 00:05:42,720 principle of gravity assist to change 149 00:05:47,749 --> 00:05:46,080 the plane of cassini's orbit provide new 150 00:05:50,070 --> 00:05:47,759 views 151 00:05:53,029 --> 00:05:50,080 and therefore observe 152 00:05:55,350 --> 00:05:53,039 in beautiful different ways 153 00:05:58,550 --> 00:05:55,360 uh the next animation 154 00:06:01,350 --> 00:05:58,560 shows you these flybys 155 00:06:04,629 --> 00:06:01,360 now what we'd normally do on flybys is 156 00:06:07,670 --> 00:06:04,639 just get a little idea of what that body 157 00:06:11,270 --> 00:06:07,680 is but these flybys have revolutionized 158 00:06:13,350 --> 00:06:11,280 our opportunity to use this concept for 159 00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:13,360 other missions 160 00:06:17,990 --> 00:06:15,680 we now know from these flybys how to 161 00:06:20,390 --> 00:06:18,000 construct a global view 162 00:06:22,629 --> 00:06:20,400 of this beautiful world and we're using 163 00:06:26,150 --> 00:06:22,639 it on the clipper mission 164 00:06:28,950 --> 00:06:26,160 that's going to jupiter and viewing the 165 00:06:31,830 --> 00:06:28,960 moon europa 166 00:06:34,710 --> 00:06:31,840 cassini has enabled us to make those 167 00:06:37,830 --> 00:06:34,720 future missions possible 168 00:06:40,230 --> 00:06:37,840 my next slide please 169 00:06:43,110 --> 00:06:40,240 americans had a wonderful 170 00:06:45,350 --> 00:06:43,120 view of an eclipse 171 00:06:47,590 --> 00:06:45,360 where the moon passed in front of the 172 00:06:50,790 --> 00:06:47,600 sun last month 173 00:06:53,430 --> 00:06:50,800 millions of people appreciate now what 174 00:06:57,510 --> 00:06:53,440 eclipses are all about 175 00:07:00,950 --> 00:06:57,520 from our view on cassini this is the 176 00:07:04,469 --> 00:07:00,960 eclipse with saturn moving in front of 177 00:07:06,070 --> 00:07:04,479 the sun this allows in the low light of 178 00:07:08,950 --> 00:07:06,080 blocking the sun 179 00:07:11,350 --> 00:07:08,960 opportunities to see in greater detail 180 00:07:14,469 --> 00:07:11,360 the ring structure 181 00:07:17,029 --> 00:07:14,479 and other elements in fact we were even 182 00:07:18,070 --> 00:07:17,039 able to see distant planets and the 183 00:07:21,029 --> 00:07:18,080 earth 184 00:07:23,749 --> 00:07:21,039 in a beautiful set of mosaic mosaic 185 00:07:25,670 --> 00:07:23,759 images that have been stitched together 186 00:07:27,990 --> 00:07:25,680 as shown here 187 00:07:31,110 --> 00:07:28,000 that outer ring that you see is called 188 00:07:33,830 --> 00:07:31,120 the e-ring we're able to illuminate it 189 00:07:36,790 --> 00:07:33,840 in ways that tells us 190 00:07:39,670 --> 00:07:36,800 that enceladus geysers 191 00:07:42,150 --> 00:07:39,680 water that being spewed out is creating 192 00:07:45,189 --> 00:07:42,160 this ring 193 00:07:48,390 --> 00:07:45,199 now because of the importance of 194 00:07:50,629 --> 00:07:48,400 enceladus that cassini has shown us 195 00:07:53,430 --> 00:07:50,639 and of titan 196 00:07:54,629 --> 00:07:53,440 another potential world that could be 197 00:07:58,390 --> 00:07:54,639 habitable 198 00:08:02,070 --> 00:07:58,400 for life perhaps not like we know it but 199 00:08:04,710 --> 00:08:02,080 perhaps completely different than ours 200 00:08:07,909 --> 00:08:04,720 we had to make decisions on how to 201 00:08:09,430 --> 00:08:07,919 dispose of the spacecraft 202 00:08:10,950 --> 00:08:09,440 and that led us 203 00:08:12,469 --> 00:08:10,960 inevitably 204 00:08:15,430 --> 00:08:12,479 to the plan 205 00:08:17,189 --> 00:08:15,440 of taking cassini and plunging it into 206 00:08:19,670 --> 00:08:17,199 saturn 207 00:08:23,749 --> 00:08:19,680 because of planetary protection 208 00:08:27,510 --> 00:08:23,759 and our desire to go back to enceladus 209 00:08:29,270 --> 00:08:27,520 and go back to titan go back to the cas 210 00:08:33,029 --> 00:08:29,280 the saturn system 211 00:08:35,909 --> 00:08:33,039 we must protect those bodies for future 212 00:08:38,949 --> 00:08:38,070 next slide please 213 00:08:41,269 --> 00:08:38,959 well 214 00:08:42,509 --> 00:08:41,279 in the visible camera we've seen more 215 00:08:46,470 --> 00:08:42,519 than 216 00:08:48,550 --> 00:08:46,480 450 000 images 217 00:08:51,269 --> 00:08:48,560 every one of them in their own way or 218 00:08:52,070 --> 00:08:51,279 absolutely spectacular 219 00:08:55,110 --> 00:08:52,080 but 220 00:08:56,470 --> 00:08:55,120 we made the decision to go through and 221 00:09:00,949 --> 00:08:56,480 pick 222 00:09:03,590 --> 00:09:00,959 the top 100 images videos in animation 223 00:09:06,829 --> 00:09:03,600 and create an e-book 224 00:09:08,389 --> 00:09:06,839 something that allows us to go back and 225 00:09:11,030 --> 00:09:08,399 view 226 00:09:14,150 --> 00:09:11,040 what we accomplished and the beautiful 227 00:09:17,110 --> 00:09:14,160 observations that this mission has done 228 00:09:18,470 --> 00:09:17,120 you can download this ebook in several 229 00:09:20,790 --> 00:09:18,480 formats 230 00:09:23,269 --> 00:09:20,800 at nasa.gov 231 00:09:25,190 --> 00:09:23,279 ebooks 232 00:09:27,670 --> 00:09:25,200 so with that 233 00:09:28,870 --> 00:09:27,680 let's learn how 234 00:09:32,389 --> 00:09:28,880 we plan 235 00:09:35,350 --> 00:09:32,399 to plunge cassini into saturn and what 236 00:09:38,470 --> 00:09:35,360 we will learn from that experience 237 00:09:42,389 --> 00:09:38,480 so let me turn it over to earl mays the 238 00:09:43,030 --> 00:09:42,399 project manager for cassini earl thank 239 00:09:49,030 --> 00:09:43,040 you 240 00:09:50,790 --> 00:09:49,040 and uh incredible privilege and pleasure 241 00:09:53,430 --> 00:09:50,800 to operate this spacecraft that before i 242 00:09:55,750 --> 00:09:53,440 go into its demise i'd like to talk just 243 00:09:57,990 --> 00:09:55,760 a little bit about some of its many 244 00:09:58,949 --> 00:09:58,000 accomplishments as jim pointed out 245 00:10:01,110 --> 00:09:58,959 almost 246 00:10:02,949 --> 00:10:01,120 half a billion five i'm sorry half a 247 00:10:06,150 --> 00:10:02,959 million images taken 248 00:10:07,389 --> 00:10:06,160 4.9 billion miles logged on this 249 00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:07,399 spacecraft 250 00:10:13,350 --> 00:10:10,560 635 gigabytes of data played back now 251 00:10:15,750 --> 00:10:13,360 that by modern standards is not a whole 252 00:10:17,670 --> 00:10:15,760 lot bigger than a flash drive but you 253 00:10:19,030 --> 00:10:17,680 got to think about 80s technology from a 254 00:10:21,470 --> 00:10:19,040 billion miles away and that all of a 255 00:10:24,550 --> 00:10:21,480 sudden becomes pretty amazing uh we had 256 00:10:26,630 --> 00:10:24,560 162 targeted flybys and as jim pointed 257 00:10:29,030 --> 00:10:26,640 out we've been using titan to great 258 00:10:30,310 --> 00:10:29,040 advantage and have been 127 of those can 259 00:10:32,790 --> 00:10:30,320 i have the first graphic please just to 260 00:10:34,389 --> 00:10:32,800 show you this incredible spacecraft now 261 00:10:36,389 --> 00:10:34,399 as as um 262 00:10:38,230 --> 00:10:36,399 it's half twice again the size of the 263 00:10:40,310 --> 00:10:38,240 model in in this auditorium if you're 264 00:10:42,949 --> 00:10:40,320 here but it's absolutely absolutely 265 00:10:44,949 --> 00:10:42,959 splendid just a a built for saturn and 266 00:10:47,990 --> 00:10:44,959 of course that's the iconic 267 00:10:50,470 --> 00:10:48,000 north pole of saturn uh below it now 268 00:10:52,550 --> 00:10:50,480 that is an animation we did not take a 269 00:10:53,430 --> 00:10:52,560 selfie stick with us although those 270 00:10:55,030 --> 00:10:53,440 those 271 00:10:57,350 --> 00:10:55,040 we could have put one on the rpws 272 00:10:58,949 --> 00:10:57,360 antenna in hindsight that again was 273 00:11:01,269 --> 00:10:58,959 something that the 90s didn't know about 274 00:11:04,949 --> 00:11:01,279 so we'll have to have to live walmart 275 00:11:07,269 --> 00:11:04,959 but again it's just been almost flawless 276 00:11:09,509 --> 00:11:07,279 operations in both the instruments 277 00:11:11,190 --> 00:11:09,519 and the spacecraft 278 00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:11,200 engineering systems and then the ground 279 00:11:15,910 --> 00:11:13,760 support itself again has just i think 280 00:11:17,990 --> 00:11:15,920 made this mission not only do we have an 281 00:11:19,590 --> 00:11:18,000 environment that just is 282 00:11:21,509 --> 00:11:19,600 overwhelming with abundance of 283 00:11:22,949 --> 00:11:21,519 scientific mysteries and puzzles we've 284 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:22,959 had a spacecraft in the team that could 285 00:11:27,590 --> 00:11:25,600 exploit it so again i will probably come 286 00:11:28,389 --> 00:11:27,600 back to that point but it's just been an 287 00:11:32,389 --> 00:11:28,399 amazing 288 00:11:34,069 --> 00:11:32,399 do let's get to 289 00:11:35,350 --> 00:11:34,079 the last few 290 00:11:37,910 --> 00:11:35,360 few hours 291 00:11:41,110 --> 00:11:37,920 could i have the next animation 292 00:11:43,750 --> 00:11:41,120 this is the so-called ball of yarn what 293 00:11:45,670 --> 00:11:43,760 we do as jim pointed out we we have a 294 00:11:48,150 --> 00:11:45,680 main engine and it's a great main engine 295 00:11:50,550 --> 00:11:48,160 but we've got titan and titan is a 296 00:11:52,870 --> 00:11:50,560 phenomenal main engine every time every 297 00:11:54,310 --> 00:11:52,880 time we fly by titan every time we fly 298 00:11:56,550 --> 00:11:54,320 by titan 299 00:11:58,230 --> 00:11:56,560 we get a little bit better view of titan 300 00:12:00,470 --> 00:11:58,240 and we get a little bit better view of 301 00:12:03,190 --> 00:12:00,480 the saturn system every one of those 302 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:03,200 course changes every orbit change there 303 00:12:09,670 --> 00:12:05,760 is titan's doing it for us and it's done 304 00:12:11,750 --> 00:12:09,680 for us for 294 different orbits 127 305 00:12:14,230 --> 00:12:11,760 times we've made major orbital changes 306 00:12:16,550 --> 00:12:14,240 and titan's been at the center of every 307 00:12:17,990 --> 00:12:16,560 one of them so that's the ball of yarn 308 00:12:19,910 --> 00:12:18,000 and if i could go to the next one let me 309 00:12:21,509 --> 00:12:19,920 just show you what titan did for us this 310 00:12:23,829 --> 00:12:21,519 is april 311 00:12:26,470 --> 00:12:23,839 all the time we've been outside the 312 00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:26,480 rings and being very very careful with 313 00:12:29,990 --> 00:12:28,240 the rings and with the dust because we 314 00:12:32,310 --> 00:12:30,000 really didn't understand the environment 315 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:32,320 well but for the grand finale in order 316 00:12:35,990 --> 00:12:34,240 to exploit every last ounce of our 317 00:12:37,990 --> 00:12:36,000 propellant and the science that that 318 00:12:39,910 --> 00:12:38,000 saturn offered inside we've been in what 319 00:12:41,990 --> 00:12:39,920 we've been calling the solst the 320 00:12:44,389 --> 00:12:42,000 proximal orbits or the grand finale 321 00:12:46,710 --> 00:12:44,399 titan gave us one last little nudge back 322 00:12:48,949 --> 00:12:46,720 in april and pushed us the cassini 323 00:12:51,910 --> 00:12:48,959 spacecraft between 324 00:12:53,670 --> 00:12:51,920 the rings and the planet itself and 325 00:12:56,550 --> 00:12:53,680 we've been skirting back and forth and 326 00:12:58,150 --> 00:12:56,560 back from that sense for 22 times since 327 00:13:00,629 --> 00:12:58,160 since april 328 00:13:02,870 --> 00:13:00,639 our last one unfortunately was was 329 00:13:04,389 --> 00:13:02,880 saturday morning we had our saturday 330 00:13:05,910 --> 00:13:04,399 evening actually we got the call back on 331 00:13:07,190 --> 00:13:05,920 saturday morning we don't normally 332 00:13:08,870 --> 00:13:07,200 communicate with the spacecraft during 333 00:13:11,110 --> 00:13:08,880 these passages because the science is so 334 00:13:12,790 --> 00:13:11,120 precious we were busy gathering that so 335 00:13:15,430 --> 00:13:12,800 the call home was saturday morning we 336 00:13:17,030 --> 00:13:15,440 were here got the call home spacecraft's 337 00:13:18,470 --> 00:13:17,040 fine it did it again the way it always 338 00:13:20,310 --> 00:13:18,480 has 339 00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:20,320 monday we got the kiss goodbye from 340 00:13:26,870 --> 00:13:24,160 titan 119 000 kilometer altitude flyby 341 00:13:28,069 --> 00:13:26,880 from titan took about 39 meters per 342 00:13:30,629 --> 00:13:28,079 second of velocity away from the 343 00:13:32,470 --> 00:13:30,639 spacecraft slowed it down just enough 344 00:13:34,389 --> 00:13:32,480 that what's going to happen on friday is 345 00:13:36,710 --> 00:13:34,399 absolutely inevitable so if i could go 346 00:13:38,069 --> 00:13:36,720 to that next animation um just to show 347 00:13:40,150 --> 00:13:38,079 this 348 00:13:42,150 --> 00:13:40,160 there is a graphic here see that titan 349 00:13:43,750 --> 00:13:42,160 flyby no i that's behind me i should be 350 00:13:46,870 --> 00:13:43,760 pointing that little titan flyby was 351 00:13:48,629 --> 00:13:46,880 enough to put us into the into saturn it 352 00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:48,639 was just distant enough just close 353 00:13:52,870 --> 00:13:51,040 enough and just the right orientation to 354 00:13:54,550 --> 00:13:52,880 seal cassini's fade 355 00:13:56,629 --> 00:13:54,560 so what's going to happen next if i can 356 00:13:59,110 --> 00:13:56,639 get the next graphic please 357 00:14:00,550 --> 00:13:59,120 we made contact with cassini for the 358 00:14:03,189 --> 00:14:00,560 last time 359 00:14:05,670 --> 00:14:03,199 i mean from the penultimate time we 360 00:14:07,670 --> 00:14:05,680 seized contact about 6 50 this morning 361 00:14:08,949 --> 00:14:07,680 after the titan flyby we got a call home 362 00:14:11,910 --> 00:14:08,959 last night we were all in the mission 363 00:14:14,470 --> 00:14:11,920 support area waiting for telemetry as it 364 00:14:17,269 --> 00:14:14,480 has done over and over again cassini 365 00:14:19,110 --> 00:14:17,279 came in on time and in perfect shape it 366 00:14:21,509 --> 00:14:19,120 got the flyby that it needed it got the 367 00:14:23,829 --> 00:14:21,519 velocity change it needed and it's now 368 00:14:25,110 --> 00:14:23,839 on its way into uh 369 00:14:27,750 --> 00:14:25,120 into 370 00:14:30,310 --> 00:14:27,760 saturn but before it goes 371 00:14:31,350 --> 00:14:30,320 about 6 50 this morning it turned off of 372 00:14:32,310 --> 00:14:31,360 earth 373 00:14:35,110 --> 00:14:32,320 back 374 00:14:37,350 --> 00:14:35,120 to the job it's been at for the last 13 375 00:14:38,949 --> 00:14:37,360 years observing the saturn system it's 376 00:14:41,350 --> 00:14:38,959 going to be taking the last set of 377 00:14:43,670 --> 00:14:41,360 pictures of some of the prime targets 378 00:14:45,110 --> 00:14:43,680 that it's visited over the many 379 00:14:47,430 --> 00:14:45,120 years that has been at saturn and we'll 380 00:14:50,069 --> 00:14:47,440 be able to share those with you sometime 381 00:14:52,470 --> 00:14:50,079 on friday they'll be coming back 382 00:14:54,230 --> 00:14:52,480 tomorrow about 2 45 tomorrow afternoon 383 00:14:57,350 --> 00:14:54,240 cassini is going to turn back 384 00:14:59,750 --> 00:14:57,360 and play back those final sets of images 385 00:15:01,829 --> 00:14:59,760 we figure that to take about 11 hours so 386 00:15:04,710 --> 00:15:01,839 at about one o'clock in the morning of 387 00:15:05,990 --> 00:15:04,720 friday uh september 15th 388 00:15:07,430 --> 00:15:06,000 we will 389 00:15:10,790 --> 00:15:07,440 the solid state recorders onboard 390 00:15:13,110 --> 00:15:10,800 cassini will be empty and we will 391 00:15:14,069 --> 00:15:13,120 then reconfigures cassini for its very 392 00:15:15,350 --> 00:15:14,079 final 393 00:15:18,389 --> 00:15:15,360 transmissions 394 00:15:20,870 --> 00:15:18,399 what we're going to do is uh cassini is 395 00:15:23,350 --> 00:15:20,880 normally a mission that stores things on 396 00:15:25,189 --> 00:15:23,360 data it's like like it's doing right now 397 00:15:26,870 --> 00:15:25,199 we're not in contact we could look all 398 00:15:28,069 --> 00:15:26,880 we wanted and cassini's off busy doing 399 00:15:29,670 --> 00:15:28,079 its own thing 400 00:15:32,230 --> 00:15:29,680 stores it on the recorders and then 401 00:15:33,829 --> 00:15:32,240 plays it back later it's doing that 402 00:15:35,670 --> 00:15:33,839 right now but 403 00:15:37,269 --> 00:15:35,680 next friday morning we're going to turn 404 00:15:39,990 --> 00:15:37,279 cassini into what we call essentially a 405 00:15:41,590 --> 00:15:40,000 bent pipe transmission system everything 406 00:15:42,949 --> 00:15:41,600 that comes from the instruments is going 407 00:15:45,030 --> 00:15:42,959 to go right into the recorder and right 408 00:15:46,550 --> 00:15:45,040 back out so there'll be a few seconds 409 00:15:48,949 --> 00:15:46,560 delay but it's essentially now a 410 00:15:51,670 --> 00:15:48,959 real-time instrument and that's to 411 00:15:53,910 --> 00:15:51,680 enable this the uh sampling instruments 412 00:15:56,550 --> 00:15:53,920 this particular the ion net ion and 413 00:15:58,470 --> 00:15:56,560 neutral mass spectrometer to get data as 414 00:16:00,710 --> 00:15:58,480 deep into the atmosphere as cassini can 415 00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:00,720 permit it we've taken our data rate down 416 00:16:04,310 --> 00:16:02,720 to as low as we can handle so that no 417 00:16:06,150 --> 00:16:04,320 matter what antenna we've got on the 418 00:16:08,230 --> 00:16:06,160 ground we'll be able to receive it so if 419 00:16:10,949 --> 00:16:08,240 it's a rainy day 420 00:16:12,949 --> 00:16:10,959 at the um in canberra in australia where 421 00:16:14,550 --> 00:16:12,959 we'll be tracked then we'll be able to 422 00:16:17,030 --> 00:16:14,560 have a better chance of getting the data 423 00:16:19,189 --> 00:16:17,040 we've also got antennas both at the dsn 424 00:16:21,670 --> 00:16:19,199 tracking plan stations on the east side 425 00:16:23,910 --> 00:16:21,680 of australia but also we've got the new 426 00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:23,920 issa station standing at the ready on 427 00:16:27,350 --> 00:16:25,360 the west side so if we've got a rainy 428 00:16:29,110 --> 00:16:27,360 day over the entire continent well we're 429 00:16:31,829 --> 00:16:29,120 out of luck but as best we can do we've 430 00:16:33,350 --> 00:16:31,839 got ourselves covered 431 00:16:35,829 --> 00:16:33,360 we will torn 432 00:16:38,310 --> 00:16:35,839 at that point also to make sure that the 433 00:16:39,670 --> 00:16:38,320 high gain antenna the 434 00:16:41,430 --> 00:16:39,680 large dish you see there is pointed 435 00:16:43,269 --> 00:16:41,440 directly at the earth and then we've 436 00:16:45,590 --> 00:16:43,279 rotated the spacecraft so the ion 437 00:16:47,749 --> 00:16:45,600 neutral mass spectrometer's aperture is 438 00:16:49,110 --> 00:16:47,759 pointing directly into the oncoming 439 00:16:50,870 --> 00:16:49,120 atmosphere so essentially it's getting 440 00:16:52,230 --> 00:16:50,880 just a full blast of the atmosphere as 441 00:16:53,030 --> 00:16:52,240 it comes in 442 00:16:55,509 --> 00:16:53,040 um 443 00:16:57,749 --> 00:16:55,519 so how are we gonna the last few minutes 444 00:17:00,389 --> 00:16:57,759 cassini is not built for atmosphere as 445 00:17:03,509 --> 00:17:00,399 you might imagine we we were we're we're 446 00:17:04,710 --> 00:17:03,519 a deep deep vaping kind of probe let's 447 00:17:05,909 --> 00:17:04,720 not say we have it hasn't seen 448 00:17:07,669 --> 00:17:05,919 atmosphere we've flown into the 449 00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:07,679 atmosphere of titan we've used the 450 00:17:12,710 --> 00:17:10,640 thrusters to battle that prop uh the the 451 00:17:14,309 --> 00:17:12,720 torques and the drag forces that we've 452 00:17:16,549 --> 00:17:14,319 had to deal with and they've been very 453 00:17:17,990 --> 00:17:16,559 effective at it so we know how to fly 454 00:17:19,270 --> 00:17:18,000 into a little bit of atmosphere and 455 00:17:21,110 --> 00:17:19,280 we've been doing that for the last five 456 00:17:23,110 --> 00:17:21,120 orbits we've actually been dipping our 457 00:17:24,949 --> 00:17:23,120 toes down into saturn's atmosphere for 458 00:17:27,110 --> 00:17:24,959 the last five orbits and the thrusters 459 00:17:28,390 --> 00:17:27,120 have had to fight back at what we call a 460 00:17:30,070 --> 00:17:28,400 duty cycle 461 00:17:31,909 --> 00:17:30,080 at 100 percent they're working as hard 462 00:17:34,230 --> 00:17:31,919 as they possibly can they've been up to 463 00:17:37,110 --> 00:17:34,240 the 40s so we really have been working 464 00:17:38,950 --> 00:17:37,120 the atmospheric effects to some extent 465 00:17:40,789 --> 00:17:38,960 we have a good sense of these but these 466 00:17:43,270 --> 00:17:40,799 are really tiny thrusters they're built 467 00:17:46,310 --> 00:17:43,280 to move a school bus by just kind of 468 00:17:47,590 --> 00:17:46,320 tapping it so they're just not not going 469 00:17:49,430 --> 00:17:47,600 to be able to do that i think i'm 470 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:49,440 getting a 1 8 pound 471 00:17:53,590 --> 00:17:51,760 so this is just you know you're you you 472 00:17:54,470 --> 00:17:53,600 keep touching something pressing out a 473 00:17:56,470 --> 00:17:54,480 little bit it's about an eighth of a 474 00:17:57,990 --> 00:17:56,480 pound you can imagine what these things 475 00:18:00,549 --> 00:17:58,000 those thrusters have to do in order to 476 00:18:02,230 --> 00:18:00,559 deal with the atmosphere of cassini so 477 00:18:03,190 --> 00:18:02,240 before i go on to the next animation let 478 00:18:05,990 --> 00:18:03,200 me just 479 00:18:09,350 --> 00:18:06,000 point out one final moment 480 00:18:11,029 --> 00:18:09,360 here and at 4 55 a.m pacific daylight 481 00:18:12,870 --> 00:18:11,039 time loss of signal and what's going to 482 00:18:15,270 --> 00:18:12,880 happen is the thrusters will eventually 483 00:18:16,950 --> 00:18:15,280 be overpowered by the atmosphere we 484 00:18:19,029 --> 00:18:16,960 won't watch cassini burn up what we'll 485 00:18:20,470 --> 00:18:19,039 watch it do is slowly turn away from us 486 00:18:22,789 --> 00:18:20,480 and we'll watch the indicator on the 487 00:18:24,310 --> 00:18:22,799 radio science displays that will go down 488 00:18:26,870 --> 00:18:24,320 flat and 489 00:18:28,710 --> 00:18:26,880 essentially loss of signal the mission 490 00:18:30,150 --> 00:18:28,720 will be over within a minute later 491 00:18:33,110 --> 00:18:30,160 there's it's going so fast and the 492 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:33,120 atmosphere is thickening so quickly that 493 00:18:37,590 --> 00:18:35,280 cassini will be vaporized in 494 00:18:39,669 --> 00:18:37,600 in a few i think maybe 100 maybe two 495 00:18:41,750 --> 00:18:39,679 minutes but i think more like one so 496 00:18:44,310 --> 00:18:41,760 it's really it's just inevitable it's 497 00:18:47,430 --> 00:18:44,320 going in very fast very steep uh let's 498 00:18:50,789 --> 00:18:47,440 go to the next image just for fun to see 499 00:18:53,909 --> 00:18:50,799 there's the timeline of the last 90 500 00:18:55,830 --> 00:18:53,919 seconds of cassini every 10 seconds tick 501 00:18:57,909 --> 00:18:55,840 mark there and that really that tick 502 00:18:58,789 --> 00:18:57,919 mark as you can see the final one on my 503 00:19:01,669 --> 00:18:58,799 right 504 00:19:03,669 --> 00:19:01,679 is um on my left up there i believe uh 505 00:19:06,230 --> 00:19:03,679 is where we will lose signal so you can 506 00:19:07,590 --> 00:19:06,240 see very very tenuous atmosphere where 507 00:19:09,190 --> 00:19:07,600 essentially 508 00:19:10,950 --> 00:19:09,200 the analog of that might be on earth 509 00:19:13,029 --> 00:19:10,960 that's about where the international 510 00:19:15,029 --> 00:19:13,039 space station is relative to internet 511 00:19:16,870 --> 00:19:15,039 density it's very very thin air the 512 00:19:18,870 --> 00:19:16,880 cassini's going so fast and the 513 00:19:20,710 --> 00:19:18,880 thrusters are so 514 00:19:22,630 --> 00:19:20,720 modest for this sort of requirement it's 515 00:19:24,470 --> 00:19:22,640 just not going to last much longer but 516 00:19:25,669 --> 00:19:24,480 you can see that about 70 seconds 60 517 00:19:28,070 --> 00:19:25,679 seconds in the thrusters are going to 518 00:19:29,350 --> 00:19:28,080 start to fight for the last minute or so 519 00:19:31,350 --> 00:19:29,360 they will be fighting the atmosphere 520 00:19:33,510 --> 00:19:31,360 increasingly increasingly as it tries to 521 00:19:36,070 --> 00:19:33,520 turn cassini into a more 522 00:19:36,789 --> 00:19:36,080 aerodynamically compatible shape 523 00:19:38,390 --> 00:19:36,799 and 524 00:19:41,029 --> 00:19:38,400 eventually they will they'll overcome so 525 00:19:42,710 --> 00:19:41,039 if i could see the last graphic please 526 00:19:44,549 --> 00:19:42,720 this is an animation and so there's 527 00:19:46,549 --> 00:19:44,559 cassini coming in this is about that 528 00:19:49,909 --> 00:19:46,559 point you can see we're starting this is 529 00:19:51,190 --> 00:19:49,919 again a bit a bit of a artistic license 530 00:19:53,029 --> 00:19:51,200 here but the thrusters as you can see 531 00:19:55,510 --> 00:19:53,039 down off those extensions on the bottom 532 00:19:57,750 --> 00:19:55,520 are fighting extremely hard to take the 533 00:19:58,870 --> 00:19:57,760 keep the antenna pointed directly at the 534 00:20:00,310 --> 00:19:58,880 earth and you can see it's going to 535 00:20:02,070 --> 00:20:00,320 start to feel the vibration of some of 536 00:20:03,510 --> 00:20:02,080 the atmospheric torques but it will 537 00:20:05,029 --> 00:20:03,520 fight and it will fight and will fight 538 00:20:07,270 --> 00:20:05,039 the mass spectrometer is pointing into 539 00:20:08,950 --> 00:20:07,280 the atmosphere the antenna is pointing 540 00:20:14,149 --> 00:20:08,960 at the earth and it's going to do that 541 00:20:16,390 --> 00:20:15,190 we've 542 00:20:17,990 --> 00:20:16,400 those of you have been following this 543 00:20:19,430 --> 00:20:18,000 story for a little while might have 544 00:20:21,909 --> 00:20:19,440 noticed that we've been a little bit 545 00:20:23,430 --> 00:20:21,919 ambivalent about when cassini's actually 546 00:20:24,549 --> 00:20:23,440 going to lose signal 547 00:20:27,029 --> 00:20:24,559 one of the 548 00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:27,039 wonders and mysteries of saturn is uh 549 00:20:30,630 --> 00:20:28,320 that we 550 00:20:32,310 --> 00:20:30,640 are always surprised and we thought we 551 00:20:35,190 --> 00:20:32,320 knew what the atmosphere was all about 552 00:20:36,470 --> 00:20:35,200 we had models that told us we were not 553 00:20:38,950 --> 00:20:36,480 perhaps not going to get enough 554 00:20:40,230 --> 00:20:38,960 atmosphere to even satisfy the ims 555 00:20:41,909 --> 00:20:40,240 requirements 556 00:20:44,789 --> 00:20:41,919 during the last 557 00:20:46,549 --> 00:20:44,799 five orbits we had plans to pop down 558 00:20:48,470 --> 00:20:46,559 into the atmosphere and if it was too 559 00:20:50,630 --> 00:20:48,480 thick we had plans to pop up 560 00:20:51,909 --> 00:20:50,640 and pop up again and pop down in order 561 00:20:53,669 --> 00:20:51,919 to get this thing fine-tuned well it was 562 00:20:55,830 --> 00:20:53,679 turned out to be absolutely perfect 563 00:20:57,510 --> 00:20:55,840 against all of our predictions we had 564 00:21:00,070 --> 00:20:57,520 all these contingencies planned and we 565 00:21:01,510 --> 00:21:00,080 threw them away but what that tells us 566 00:21:03,350 --> 00:21:01,520 also is not only we do not know the 567 00:21:04,870 --> 00:21:03,360 atmosphere but the atmosphere affects 568 00:21:05,909 --> 00:21:04,880 when you're going to go in every time 569 00:21:07,990 --> 00:21:05,919 you go into the atmosphere and get 570 00:21:12,310 --> 00:21:08,000 slowed down well you go in a little bit 571 00:21:16,230 --> 00:21:12,320 earlier so what started as 508 is now at 572 00:21:17,669 --> 00:21:16,240 4 colon 55 call it 06. 573 00:21:19,750 --> 00:21:17,679 a.m 574 00:21:22,870 --> 00:21:19,760 pacific time and that's our story and 575 00:21:27,669 --> 00:21:25,590 so with that i would like to turn the 576 00:21:29,350 --> 00:21:27,679 mic over to linda spilker to tell you 577 00:21:30,470 --> 00:21:29,360 about some of this amazing science that 578 00:21:31,909 --> 00:21:30,480 we're going to get in these last few 579 00:21:33,830 --> 00:21:31,919 hours 580 00:21:35,830 --> 00:21:33,840 well being thank you very much earl 581 00:21:37,909 --> 00:21:35,840 being part of the cassini mission for 582 00:21:40,470 --> 00:21:37,919 the entire mission has been an 583 00:21:43,190 --> 00:21:40,480 incredible privilege both for me and for 584 00:21:47,110 --> 00:21:43,200 many of the scientists on board cassini 585 00:21:50,230 --> 00:21:47,120 we've had an incredible 13-year journey 586 00:21:52,549 --> 00:21:50,240 around saturn returning data like a 587 00:21:53,510 --> 00:21:52,559 giant fire hose just flooding us with 588 00:21:57,430 --> 00:21:53,520 data 589 00:21:59,510 --> 00:21:57,440 a million piece puzzle 590 00:22:01,830 --> 00:21:59,520 cassini has been slowly putting together 591 00:22:03,590 --> 00:22:01,840 the pieces we have some of the border 592 00:22:05,350 --> 00:22:03,600 some of the regions and we're trying to 593 00:22:07,750 --> 00:22:05,360 put together the picture of the saturn 594 00:22:09,909 --> 00:22:07,760 system but we don't have a picture on 595 00:22:11,270 --> 00:22:09,919 the cover to guide us to tell us what 596 00:22:13,510 --> 00:22:11,280 that final 597 00:22:14,950 --> 00:22:13,520 set of data will finally look like and 598 00:22:18,070 --> 00:22:14,960 what's really great about the grand 599 00:22:19,590 --> 00:22:18,080 finale is it's adding incredible new 600 00:22:21,750 --> 00:22:19,600 puzzle pieces 601 00:22:24,070 --> 00:22:21,760 to help us better understand the saturn 602 00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:24,080 system and as earl said lots of 603 00:22:27,750 --> 00:22:25,760 surprises many of the things we thought 604 00:22:29,990 --> 00:22:27,760 we knew about saturn are more 605 00:22:31,029 --> 00:22:30,000 complicated than we originally had 606 00:22:33,110 --> 00:22:31,039 imagined 607 00:22:35,990 --> 00:22:33,120 if we look at the first graphic 608 00:22:37,909 --> 00:22:36,000 this is an example of looking at saturn 609 00:22:40,149 --> 00:22:37,919 from the outside in that's what we're 610 00:22:41,909 --> 00:22:40,159 doing with the grand finale orbits if 611 00:22:44,390 --> 00:22:41,919 you look at that blue figure on your 612 00:22:47,350 --> 00:22:44,400 right that's the aurora oval at saturn 613 00:22:49,750 --> 00:22:47,360 the particles come in hit the atmosphere 614 00:22:52,549 --> 00:22:49,760 cause this wonderful aurora 615 00:22:54,630 --> 00:22:52,559 just underneath it you have the hexagon 616 00:22:56,390 --> 00:22:54,640 with the hurricane inside it if you look 617 00:22:57,990 --> 00:22:56,400 on the bottom right you can see an image 618 00:22:59,669 --> 00:22:58,000 now in the infrared where you can see 619 00:23:02,789 --> 00:22:59,679 the heat energy 620 00:23:04,630 --> 00:23:02,799 coming out from inside of the planet and 621 00:23:06,950 --> 00:23:04,640 finally that beautiful image with the 622 00:23:08,630 --> 00:23:06,960 hexagons so we're looking at different 623 00:23:11,510 --> 00:23:08,640 levels from saturn almost like we've 624 00:23:13,750 --> 00:23:11,520 taken a magnifying glass to the planet 625 00:23:15,909 --> 00:23:13,760 and the rings we've also been looking at 626 00:23:17,990 --> 00:23:15,919 the interior and in a sense pulling back 627 00:23:20,630 --> 00:23:18,000 the curtain with our gravity and 628 00:23:23,909 --> 00:23:20,640 magnetic field data to see what saturn 629 00:23:25,110 --> 00:23:23,919 is like on the inside as well 630 00:23:26,950 --> 00:23:25,120 well as earl mentioned we're going to be 631 00:23:29,270 --> 00:23:26,960 taking our last images we hope about 632 00:23:31,350 --> 00:23:29,280 eight o'clock tomorrow night to have the 633 00:23:33,110 --> 00:23:31,360 images up on our raw image site if we go 634 00:23:35,510 --> 00:23:33,120 to the next graphic 635 00:23:37,669 --> 00:23:35,520 in that last period of time looking 636 00:23:40,789 --> 00:23:37,679 around saturn what we're doing is we're 637 00:23:42,470 --> 00:23:40,799 taking our final picture postcards of 638 00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:42,480 the saturn system 639 00:23:47,029 --> 00:23:45,200 looking at our favorite targets and to 640 00:23:48,230 --> 00:23:47,039 put these images in our cassini 641 00:23:50,310 --> 00:23:48,240 scrapbook 642 00:23:52,789 --> 00:23:50,320 so we're going to take if you look at 643 00:23:54,710 --> 00:23:52,799 the upper left a mosaic of saturn in the 644 00:23:56,710 --> 00:23:54,720 rings in color 645 00:23:57,990 --> 00:23:56,720 basically our last look at the entire 646 00:24:00,230 --> 00:23:58,000 system 647 00:24:02,230 --> 00:24:00,240 upper right that's titan we're going to 648 00:24:04,230 --> 00:24:02,240 take some goodbye pictures of titan last 649 00:24:06,470 --> 00:24:04,240 look to see if there's any weather or 650 00:24:08,149 --> 00:24:06,480 clouds going on 651 00:24:10,070 --> 00:24:08,159 in the lower left that's the outers of 652 00:24:12,630 --> 00:24:10,080 the a-ring and that bright feature is 653 00:24:14,710 --> 00:24:12,640 created by a grouping of particles that 654 00:24:17,269 --> 00:24:14,720 we've nicknamed peggy we've been 655 00:24:19,350 --> 00:24:17,279 watching since 2012 to see if peggy 656 00:24:21,110 --> 00:24:19,360 might break free of the rings 657 00:24:23,029 --> 00:24:21,120 and become a moon in her own right so 658 00:24:24,390 --> 00:24:23,039 we're going to take a last look see what 659 00:24:25,669 --> 00:24:24,400 peggy's up to 660 00:24:29,029 --> 00:24:25,679 in the center we're going to watch 661 00:24:31,269 --> 00:24:29,039 enceladus set behind the northern limb 662 00:24:33,269 --> 00:24:31,279 of saturn so very appropriate enceladus 663 00:24:35,190 --> 00:24:33,279 setting get a look at the propellers 664 00:24:37,190 --> 00:24:35,200 that's on the lower right these objects 665 00:24:39,750 --> 00:24:37,200 that are trying to open up gaps in 666 00:24:42,630 --> 00:24:39,760 saturn's rings not quite big enough to 667 00:24:44,630 --> 00:24:42,640 do that but you can only see those with 668 00:24:46,630 --> 00:24:44,640 a spacecraft like cassini 669 00:24:48,230 --> 00:24:46,640 and then on our final moments of data 670 00:24:49,269 --> 00:24:48,240 we're going to look on the dark side of 671 00:24:51,830 --> 00:24:49,279 saturn 672 00:24:54,230 --> 00:24:51,840 at that point where cassini will be 673 00:24:56,549 --> 00:24:54,240 plunging into the atmosphere looking in 674 00:24:59,430 --> 00:24:56,559 the near infrared the ultraviolet trying 675 00:25:00,390 --> 00:24:59,440 to get some pictures of cassini's final 676 00:25:03,510 --> 00:25:00,400 home 677 00:25:05,669 --> 00:25:03,520 inside the planet saturn itself now if 678 00:25:07,669 --> 00:25:05,679 we go to the next graphic this just came 679 00:25:09,590 --> 00:25:07,679 down last night 680 00:25:11,190 --> 00:25:09,600 this is one of our looks at titan from 681 00:25:12,870 --> 00:25:11,200 the goodbye kiss 682 00:25:14,470 --> 00:25:12,880 the north pole you can see the lake 683 00:25:15,750 --> 00:25:14,480 region we're looking at the north pole 684 00:25:17,510 --> 00:25:15,760 of titan 685 00:25:20,310 --> 00:25:17,520 looking through the haze the haze has 686 00:25:21,990 --> 00:25:20,320 cleared remarkably as summer solstice 687 00:25:23,909 --> 00:25:22,000 has approached 688 00:25:25,590 --> 00:25:23,919 and then if we go to the final graphic 689 00:25:26,390 --> 00:25:25,600 these are the instruments that will be 690 00:25:28,390 --> 00:25:26,400 on 691 00:25:31,269 --> 00:25:28,400 and sending back data 692 00:25:33,510 --> 00:25:31,279 during those final moments with cassini 693 00:25:35,669 --> 00:25:33,520 and we have eight of them including 694 00:25:37,909 --> 00:25:35,679 the gas chromatograph grass 695 00:25:40,070 --> 00:25:37,919 ion and neutral mass spectrometer the 696 00:25:42,310 --> 00:25:40,080 magnetospheric imaging experiment the 697 00:25:44,789 --> 00:25:42,320 radio science system will be sending 698 00:25:46,950 --> 00:25:44,799 back its last gravity measurements the 699 00:25:49,029 --> 00:25:46,960 radio and plasma wave antennas and then 700 00:25:51,190 --> 00:25:49,039 the ultraviolet and infrared 701 00:25:52,549 --> 00:25:51,200 spectrometers will also be taking data 702 00:25:54,230 --> 00:25:52,559 in that time period 703 00:25:57,190 --> 00:25:54,240 the magnetometer 704 00:25:59,430 --> 00:25:57,200 and the dust analyzer as well 705 00:26:01,590 --> 00:25:59,440 now in these very final seconds we'll be 706 00:26:04,630 --> 00:26:01,600 plunging deeper into the atmosphere of 707 00:26:06,470 --> 00:26:04,640 saturn than we've ever gone before 708 00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:06,480 in fact you can think of cassini as 709 00:26:11,430 --> 00:26:09,760 becoming the first saturn probe 710 00:26:13,750 --> 00:26:11,440 and to tell you more about sniffing the 711 00:26:15,510 --> 00:26:13,760 atmosphere of saturn i turn it over to 712 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:15,520 hunter weight and he's the principal 713 00:26:19,909 --> 00:26:17,760 investigator for the ion and neutral 714 00:26:21,110 --> 00:26:19,919 mass spectrometer hunter thanks thanks 715 00:26:23,909 --> 00:26:21,120 linda 716 00:26:25,190 --> 00:26:23,919 the ion neutral mass spectrometer is 717 00:26:28,230 --> 00:26:25,200 actually the 718 00:26:32,230 --> 00:26:28,240 sensitive nose of the spacecraft if 719 00:26:36,549 --> 00:26:35,350 and zoom in on ims you can also see it 720 00:26:38,470 --> 00:26:36,559 here 721 00:26:40,870 --> 00:26:38,480 gas enters into this 722 00:26:43,190 --> 00:26:40,880 front portion of the instrument and 723 00:26:44,710 --> 00:26:43,200 inside the molecular composition is 724 00:26:46,789 --> 00:26:44,720 determined 725 00:26:48,710 --> 00:26:46,799 and that's so we have to be pointed in 726 00:26:51,029 --> 00:26:48,720 the forward direction and the direction 727 00:26:52,390 --> 00:26:51,039 motion the spacecraft is earl's already 728 00:26:55,029 --> 00:26:52,400 indicated 729 00:26:57,830 --> 00:26:55,039 we've done this on many occasions we've 730 00:27:00,470 --> 00:26:57,840 explored the atmosphere of titan in the 731 00:27:02,230 --> 00:27:00,480 same manner we've explored the plumes of 732 00:27:04,390 --> 00:27:02,240 enceladus 733 00:27:06,149 --> 00:27:04,400 with the eye neutral mass spectrometer 734 00:27:07,990 --> 00:27:06,159 as well and found out about the 735 00:27:10,950 --> 00:27:08,000 composition there and made some 736 00:27:12,789 --> 00:27:10,960 inferences about the internal ocean and 737 00:27:13,510 --> 00:27:12,799 now we get a chance to actually look at 738 00:27:21,269 --> 00:27:13,520 the 739 00:27:23,350 --> 00:27:21,279 we're sampling both in this last stage 740 00:27:26,149 --> 00:27:23,360 if you go to the next graphic 741 00:27:29,510 --> 00:27:26,159 we'll there's some idea of 742 00:27:32,470 --> 00:27:29,520 the sampling that we're doing so the 743 00:27:33,990 --> 00:27:32,480 the five dots indicate the five 744 00:27:35,909 --> 00:27:34,000 previous orbits where we were at the 745 00:27:38,149 --> 00:27:35,919 lowest point or closest to the 746 00:27:40,870 --> 00:27:38,159 atmosphere so far 747 00:27:43,830 --> 00:27:40,880 earlier we were closer to the rings 748 00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:43,840 and we were uh well we were close to the 749 00:27:48,389 --> 00:27:45,440 rings that there's kind of like three 750 00:27:50,470 --> 00:27:48,399 bands that we actually sample so 751 00:27:51,990 --> 00:27:50,480 we've had a chance to look more at the 752 00:27:54,870 --> 00:27:52,000 ring atmosphere 753 00:27:57,110 --> 00:27:54,880 and to look and progressively 754 00:27:59,430 --> 00:27:57,120 see more and more of the atmosphere of 755 00:28:01,110 --> 00:27:59,440 saturn itself and you can see that line 756 00:28:02,630 --> 00:28:01,120 on the graph that's called well-mixed 757 00:28:04,870 --> 00:28:02,640 atmosphere that's where the atmosphere 758 00:28:06,950 --> 00:28:04,880 becomes kind of homogeneous in terms of 759 00:28:09,750 --> 00:28:06,960 composition and we're not going to quite 760 00:28:12,310 --> 00:28:09,760 make it there but we'll make it close 761 00:28:14,470 --> 00:28:12,320 and in that period of time we'll be able 762 00:28:17,029 --> 00:28:14,480 to make our cleanest sample of the 763 00:28:19,669 --> 00:28:17,039 atmosphere of saturn itself 764 00:28:21,669 --> 00:28:19,679 so if we go to the final graphic 765 00:28:22,630 --> 00:28:21,679 uh this is a very pretty picture of the 766 00:28:24,549 --> 00:28:22,640 rings and 767 00:28:25,590 --> 00:28:24,559 and of the atmosphere you can see kind 768 00:28:29,269 --> 00:28:25,600 of a 769 00:28:31,990 --> 00:28:29,279 a haze which is the atmosphere 770 00:28:33,990 --> 00:28:32,000 just above the edge of the planet and 771 00:28:35,990 --> 00:28:34,000 the one of the most important scientific 772 00:28:38,950 --> 00:28:36,000 things that we're trying to figure out 773 00:28:41,669 --> 00:28:38,960 is a concept called ring rain and this 774 00:28:44,070 --> 00:28:41,679 concept was introduced 775 00:28:45,990 --> 00:28:44,080 in the early 80s to actually explain 776 00:28:49,029 --> 00:28:46,000 some observations that were made by both 777 00:28:51,029 --> 00:28:49,039 pioneer and voyager as they flew by 778 00:28:59,669 --> 00:28:51,039 and 779 00:29:01,510 --> 00:28:59,679 ice strains from the rings falling into 780 00:29:04,230 --> 00:29:01,520 the atmosphere and making modifications 781 00:29:05,350 --> 00:29:04,240 to the atmosphere in ionosphere 782 00:29:06,310 --> 00:29:05,360 well 783 00:29:10,630 --> 00:29:06,320 as 784 00:29:12,710 --> 00:29:10,640 much more extensive than that it's much 785 00:29:14,950 --> 00:29:12,720 more complicated we're getting great new 786 00:29:17,110 --> 00:29:14,960 data we're trying to find out exactly 787 00:29:19,510 --> 00:29:17,120 what is coming from the rings and what 788 00:29:21,669 --> 00:29:19,520 is due to the atmosphere and that final 789 00:29:23,110 --> 00:29:21,679 plunge will allow us to do that the 790 00:29:25,110 --> 00:29:23,120 other thing that we'll do during that 791 00:29:27,830 --> 00:29:25,120 period of time is we move closer to the 792 00:29:30,870 --> 00:29:27,840 mixed atmosphere we'll be able to look 793 00:29:32,070 --> 00:29:30,880 at some important constituents that we 794 00:29:33,590 --> 00:29:32,080 know are there 795 00:29:35,909 --> 00:29:33,600 and we've been measuring them but we'll 796 00:29:38,789 --> 00:29:35,919 get a better idea of the hydrogen to 797 00:29:41,029 --> 00:29:38,799 helium ratio and this is important in 798 00:29:43,590 --> 00:29:41,039 terms of the formation and evolution of 799 00:29:46,230 --> 00:29:43,600 saturn itself so we have an extensive 800 00:29:48,389 --> 00:29:46,240 set of science objectives that we're 801 00:29:49,590 --> 00:29:48,399 going to execute on this final plunge 802 00:29:51,029 --> 00:29:49,600 and we're 803 00:29:52,789 --> 00:29:51,039 looking forward to getting the data in 804 00:29:55,430 --> 00:29:52,799 near real time 805 00:29:57,430 --> 00:29:55,440 thanks i'll pass it back to earl 806 00:30:00,950 --> 00:29:57,440 thanks hunter 807 00:30:04,070 --> 00:30:00,960 after nearly four decades of planning 808 00:30:07,590 --> 00:30:04,080 execution implementation and execution 809 00:30:09,590 --> 00:30:07,600 we are now within 48 hours of the end of 810 00:30:12,549 --> 00:30:09,600 the cassini mission 811 00:30:15,350 --> 00:30:12,559 the work of of three space agencies 17 812 00:30:17,430 --> 00:30:15,360 member nations hundreds of suppliers 813 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:17,440 thousands of engineers scientists and 814 00:30:21,909 --> 00:30:18,960 support staff 815 00:30:24,549 --> 00:30:21,919 are about to come to a fiery end high 816 00:30:26,310 --> 00:30:24,559 above the clouds of saturn 817 00:30:28,549 --> 00:30:26,320 the current 818 00:30:29,830 --> 00:30:28,559 cassini team or family is as it has 819 00:30:31,510 --> 00:30:29,840 become 820 00:30:33,350 --> 00:30:31,520 comprised of hundreds of engineers 821 00:30:35,430 --> 00:30:33,360 scientists and support staff has worked 822 00:30:37,750 --> 00:30:35,440 for many years to bring us to this point 823 00:30:39,590 --> 00:30:37,760 and it's done a phenomenal job as i 824 00:30:43,590 --> 00:30:39,600 emphasize at the beginning 825 00:30:46,070 --> 00:30:43,600 this is about a spacecraft and a team 826 00:30:48,389 --> 00:30:46,080 that has just been absolutely the best 827 00:30:50,870 --> 00:30:48,399 one it could ever ask for in both cases 828 00:30:52,870 --> 00:30:50,880 and it's coming to an end unfortunately 829 00:30:54,549 --> 00:30:52,880 we'll be saddened oh there's no doubt 830 00:30:57,029 --> 00:30:54,559 about it at the loss of such an 831 00:30:59,509 --> 00:30:57,039 incredible machine but i think all of us 832 00:31:00,630 --> 00:30:59,519 we're going to have a great sense of 833 00:31:02,789 --> 00:31:00,640 pride 834 00:31:04,870 --> 00:31:02,799 in a little bit corny perhaps but 835 00:31:07,269 --> 00:31:04,880 mission accomplished we set out to do 836 00:31:09,509 --> 00:31:07,279 something at saturn we did it we did it 837 00:31:11,190 --> 00:31:09,519 extremely well and we delivered more and 838 00:31:12,230 --> 00:31:11,200 more and we've left 839 00:31:15,190 --> 00:31:12,240 the world 840 00:31:16,710 --> 00:31:15,200 informed but still wondering and that's 841 00:31:18,470 --> 00:31:16,720 i couldn't ask for more we got to go 842 00:31:20,070 --> 00:31:18,480 back we know it 843 00:31:21,990 --> 00:31:20,080 we've been gathering all week we'll be 844 00:31:23,830 --> 00:31:22,000 staffing up the mission control center 845 00:31:25,909 --> 00:31:23,840 tomorrow standing vigil through the 846 00:31:28,549 --> 00:31:25,919 night as we prepare to say goodbye both 847 00:31:31,350 --> 00:31:28,559 from here and a large crowd of team of 848 00:31:33,110 --> 00:31:31,360 our team members at caltech 849 00:31:35,750 --> 00:31:33,120 as our faithful traveler from earth 850 00:31:37,909 --> 00:31:35,760 makes its final goodbye 851 00:31:40,470 --> 00:31:37,919 so thank you cassini 852 00:31:42,389 --> 00:31:40,480 and farewell 853 00:31:44,710 --> 00:31:42,399 all right well thank you very much to 854 00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:44,720 our speakers it's just phenomenal 855 00:31:48,149 --> 00:31:46,080 we're going to go ahead and open it up 856 00:31:50,789 --> 00:31:48,159 for questions uh first of all to 857 00:31:53,669 --> 00:31:50,799 reporters here in the auditorium please 858 00:31:56,230 --> 00:31:53,679 wait for the mic and uh uh give us your 859 00:31:59,350 --> 00:31:56,240 name and affiliation any questions here 860 00:32:03,509 --> 00:32:00,389 thanks 861 00:32:04,789 --> 00:32:03,519 hi irene klotz with aviation week um 862 00:32:06,630 --> 00:32:04,799 the uh 863 00:32:09,350 --> 00:32:06,640 the last image that's going to be taken 864 00:32:10,630 --> 00:32:09,360 from titan is it i mean from cassini is 865 00:32:12,789 --> 00:32:10,640 it the uh 866 00:32:15,750 --> 00:32:12,799 the image of where it's going to impact 867 00:32:18,870 --> 00:32:15,760 and what is the speed that cassini will 868 00:32:21,110 --> 00:32:18,880 be traveling uh relative to saturn in 869 00:32:23,029 --> 00:32:21,120 the final descent 870 00:32:24,870 --> 00:32:23,039 i think the answer is yes to the first 871 00:32:26,870 --> 00:32:24,880 question the final image is the final 872 00:32:29,350 --> 00:32:26,880 image is the place where casino will 873 00:32:31,269 --> 00:32:29,360 plant it'll be dark but that'll be we'll 874 00:32:33,909 --> 00:32:31,279 take an image there yes and in miles per 875 00:32:35,669 --> 00:32:33,919 hour we're going about 76 000 miles per 876 00:32:37,029 --> 00:32:35,679 hour 877 00:32:39,430 --> 00:32:37,039 we'll actually have an image with our 878 00:32:41,430 --> 00:32:39,440 visual and infrared mapping spectrometer 879 00:32:43,909 --> 00:32:41,440 and that image can sense the heat of 880 00:32:46,070 --> 00:32:43,919 saturn as well and so we may 881 00:32:50,230 --> 00:32:46,080 see some details of the atmosphere in 882 00:32:51,029 --> 00:32:50,240 the near infrared thanks and the 455 06 883 00:32:53,190 --> 00:32:51,039 that's 884 00:32:54,230 --> 00:32:53,200 pacific daylight time and what is the 885 00:32:56,230 --> 00:32:54,240 actual 886 00:32:58,470 --> 00:32:56,240 time on with it 887 00:33:01,190 --> 00:32:58,480 it's about an hour and 21 minutes or it 888 00:33:05,830 --> 00:33:01,200 takes the signal an hour and 20 sorry 23 889 00:33:09,669 --> 00:33:05,840 minutes to get from saturn to to earth 890 00:33:11,909 --> 00:33:09,679 but as far as we're concerned that that 891 00:33:14,230 --> 00:33:11,919 what we see is and what we live with 892 00:33:15,909 --> 00:33:14,240 is this is the signal from cassini so 893 00:33:18,549 --> 00:33:15,919 when that last signal comes down that's 894 00:33:19,750 --> 00:33:18,559 when things have happened for us 895 00:33:21,590 --> 00:33:19,760 okay another question here in the 896 00:33:22,710 --> 00:33:21,600 audience down front frederick castell 897 00:33:25,669 --> 00:33:22,720 freelance 898 00:33:27,509 --> 00:33:25,679 journalist uh two questions uh when you 899 00:33:30,630 --> 00:33:27,519 look at the ephemerides 900 00:33:33,990 --> 00:33:30,640 of the different uh moons do we see some 901 00:33:35,029 --> 00:33:34,000 kind of pioneer effect 902 00:33:40,470 --> 00:33:35,039 on the 903 00:33:42,630 --> 00:33:40,480 for 904 00:33:45,830 --> 00:33:42,640 next mission future mission what's the 905 00:33:48,470 --> 00:33:45,840 strategy about plutonium 906 00:33:49,909 --> 00:33:48,480 i i'll start with the pioneer 907 00:33:52,710 --> 00:33:49,919 effect but i'm going to let the gym 908 00:33:55,269 --> 00:33:52,720 handle the next one uh no we have not 909 00:33:57,029 --> 00:33:55,279 the pipe because we have so many 910 00:33:59,669 --> 00:33:57,039 different perturbations in the system 911 00:34:00,950 --> 00:33:59,679 from the moons from our own thrusting 912 00:34:03,029 --> 00:34:00,960 from the 913 00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:03,039 thermal pressures of the rtgs even more 914 00:34:06,789 --> 00:34:05,120 subtle we're just too busy perturbing 915 00:34:09,190 --> 00:34:06,799 that trajectory to actually be able to 916 00:34:11,430 --> 00:34:09,200 see something as subtle as the pioneer 917 00:34:14,069 --> 00:34:11,440 effect it's it's just too much going on 918 00:34:16,629 --> 00:34:14,079 in the saturn system 919 00:34:18,629 --> 00:34:16,639 several years ago we were able to work 920 00:34:21,510 --> 00:34:18,639 with the administration and congress to 921 00:34:24,869 --> 00:34:21,520 get the approval to restart the 922 00:34:25,990 --> 00:34:24,879 production of plutonium-238 923 00:34:28,069 --> 00:34:26,000 we've already 924 00:34:30,710 --> 00:34:28,079 done a number of tests and in 925 00:34:32,389 --> 00:34:30,720 2019 we'll get back into the production 926 00:34:34,550 --> 00:34:32,399 on a regular basis 927 00:34:36,389 --> 00:34:34,560 we also have 928 00:34:39,430 --> 00:34:36,399 approximately 929 00:34:42,310 --> 00:34:39,440 30 kilograms plus of uh plutonium 930 00:34:45,030 --> 00:34:42,320 available to us for future missions 931 00:34:47,589 --> 00:34:45,040 uh the next plutonium mission uh that we 932 00:34:48,950 --> 00:34:47,599 planned is a mars mission it's mars 933 00:34:50,069 --> 00:34:48,960 2020. 934 00:34:52,149 --> 00:34:50,079 but um 935 00:34:55,030 --> 00:34:52,159 i think we're in really good stead for 936 00:34:56,389 --> 00:34:55,040 the next several decades uh our plan is 937 00:34:58,630 --> 00:34:56,399 to uh 938 00:35:02,870 --> 00:34:58,640 keep keep a stock of plutonium and not 939 00:35:04,230 --> 00:35:02,880 let that be a mission limiting factor 940 00:35:06,470 --> 00:35:04,240 okay other questions here in the 941 00:35:07,270 --> 00:35:06,480 audience 942 00:35:09,510 --> 00:35:07,280 uh 943 00:35:12,870 --> 00:35:09,520 right here we'll go inside and then 944 00:35:17,750 --> 00:35:15,670 hi thank you for doing this 945 00:35:19,829 --> 00:35:17,760 will we be able to tell anything from 946 00:35:22,150 --> 00:35:19,839 the live stream data on the way into the 947 00:35:25,109 --> 00:35:22,160 atmosphere right away and if not how 948 00:35:27,750 --> 00:35:25,119 long will it be before we know 949 00:35:29,670 --> 00:35:27,760 a big idea of what it's telling us 950 00:35:30,790 --> 00:35:29,680 that's yours well um 951 00:35:33,430 --> 00:35:30,800 the data 952 00:35:35,430 --> 00:35:33,440 the operations team lead for the ims 953 00:35:37,109 --> 00:35:35,440 tells me that she will display it 20 954 00:35:39,990 --> 00:35:37,119 minutes after 955 00:35:41,750 --> 00:35:40,000 the time we take it so we're going to 956 00:35:42,829 --> 00:35:41,760 get it streamed to us 957 00:35:46,390 --> 00:35:42,839 from 958 00:35:47,990 --> 00:35:46,400 the downlink to jpel be transferred to 959 00:35:48,790 --> 00:35:48,000 southwest research institute and then 960 00:35:51,750 --> 00:35:48,800 we'll 961 00:35:53,589 --> 00:35:51,760 have it on a computer down in caltech 962 00:35:54,870 --> 00:35:53,599 understanding it might take a little bit 963 00:36:00,310 --> 00:35:54,880 longer 964 00:36:05,030 --> 00:36:02,790 wall street journal um you you mentioned 965 00:36:07,750 --> 00:36:05,040 that cassini has uh among its many 966 00:36:09,589 --> 00:36:07,760 accomplishments enabled a series of 967 00:36:12,550 --> 00:36:09,599 missions to come i wonder if you'd 968 00:36:15,510 --> 00:36:12,560 expand on that for a moment well as i 969 00:36:17,270 --> 00:36:15,520 mentioned earlier the concept of 970 00:36:18,550 --> 00:36:17,280 the gravity assist that we were able to 971 00:36:19,670 --> 00:36:18,560 get with 972 00:36:22,069 --> 00:36:19,680 titan 973 00:36:24,950 --> 00:36:22,079 allowed our instruments to get a global 974 00:36:27,270 --> 00:36:24,960 view of that beautiful moon 975 00:36:30,310 --> 00:36:27,280 that's really spectacular because that 976 00:36:32,470 --> 00:36:30,320 means when we take it to uh the jupiter 977 00:36:33,990 --> 00:36:32,480 environment where the radiation belt is 978 00:36:35,990 --> 00:36:34,000 really harsh 979 00:36:38,230 --> 00:36:36,000 all through the area where the galilean 980 00:36:41,270 --> 00:36:38,240 moons are we want to be able to get in 981 00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:41,280 and get out and so then if we orbit 982 00:36:45,109 --> 00:36:42,400 jupiter 983 00:36:47,270 --> 00:36:45,119 we can do multiple flybys of the moons 984 00:36:48,870 --> 00:36:47,280 and the one we're we're planning to do 985 00:36:51,829 --> 00:36:48,880 is europa 986 00:36:54,630 --> 00:36:51,839 and from those multiple flybys 987 00:36:58,630 --> 00:36:54,640 actually create a global view of that 988 00:37:00,470 --> 00:36:58,640 moon as if we were in orbit and so 989 00:37:03,270 --> 00:37:00,480 cassini's really pioneered that whole 990 00:37:05,589 --> 00:37:03,280 concept and that will be our first next 991 00:37:06,829 --> 00:37:05,599 attempt in using that 992 00:37:09,430 --> 00:37:06,839 to great 993 00:37:10,790 --> 00:37:09,440 effect all right actually we're going to 994 00:37:11,910 --> 00:37:10,800 go to the phones now for a couple of 995 00:37:13,910 --> 00:37:11,920 questions but we'll come back to the 996 00:37:16,230 --> 00:37:13,920 auditorium uh i think we have marcia 997 00:37:18,630 --> 00:37:16,240 dunn from the ap marcia 998 00:37:19,910 --> 00:37:18,640 yes can you hear me sure 999 00:37:22,310 --> 00:37:19,920 yes um 1000 00:37:23,910 --> 00:37:22,320 for either jim or earl or both there 1001 00:37:26,710 --> 00:37:23,920 seems to be a 1002 00:37:28,950 --> 00:37:26,720 the outpouring of love for cassini seems 1003 00:37:31,430 --> 00:37:28,960 to be growing in these last 1004 00:37:33,430 --> 00:37:31,440 hours and days i'm wondering if you had 1005 00:37:35,430 --> 00:37:33,440 a chance to hear the cassini opera from 1006 00:37:36,790 --> 00:37:35,440 the planetary society what did you think 1007 00:37:39,349 --> 00:37:36,800 about that 1008 00:37:42,069 --> 00:37:39,359 and and how do you feel hearing from 1009 00:37:43,750 --> 00:37:42,079 the public who's so sorry to see cassini 1010 00:37:45,990 --> 00:37:43,760 go 1011 00:37:48,710 --> 00:37:46,000 i i have heard the opera tribute from 1012 00:37:51,030 --> 00:37:48,720 the planetary society and i loved it um 1013 00:37:52,470 --> 00:37:51,040 it's very heartwarming to us as a matter 1014 00:37:54,069 --> 00:37:52,480 of fact we've 1015 00:37:55,829 --> 00:37:54,079 recently posted a letter from a 1016 00:37:58,950 --> 00:37:55,839 six-year-old boy who invited us to his 1017 00:37:59,829 --> 00:37:58,960 cassini party in florida on the 15th uh 1018 00:38:05,589 --> 00:37:59,839 the 1019 00:38:07,589 --> 00:38:05,599 may be so corny uh is just very 1020 00:38:09,750 --> 00:38:07,599 heartening um 1021 00:38:10,550 --> 00:38:09,760 to because it's part of what we try to 1022 00:38:13,829 --> 00:38:10,560 do 1023 00:38:16,710 --> 00:38:13,839 is to extend everybody out to saturn 1024 00:38:18,470 --> 00:38:16,720 it's not science for you know in in the 1025 00:38:21,190 --> 00:38:18,480 in the ivory tower it's for it's for 1026 00:38:24,310 --> 00:38:21,200 humanity and so that everybody to get on 1027 00:38:27,270 --> 00:38:24,320 ride come with us is just phenomenal so 1028 00:38:28,470 --> 00:38:27,280 i i'm very heartened by that um i wish 1029 00:38:29,829 --> 00:38:28,480 uh 1030 00:38:32,069 --> 00:38:29,839 well never mind i don't even wanna go 1031 00:38:33,750 --> 00:38:32,079 there 1032 00:38:36,550 --> 00:38:33,760 more orbit 1033 00:38:39,109 --> 00:38:36,560 so it's it is it is where it is we've 1034 00:38:41,349 --> 00:38:39,119 we've gone this this train and i again i 1035 00:38:43,190 --> 00:38:41,359 i couldn't be more heartened by the the 1036 00:38:45,270 --> 00:38:43,200 outpouring we've had 1037 00:38:47,510 --> 00:38:45,280 absolutely you know the cassini family 1038 00:38:49,910 --> 00:38:47,520 as earl mentioned is those people that 1039 00:38:53,510 --> 00:38:49,920 have worked many years uh 1040 00:38:55,109 --> 00:38:53,520 decades uh to uh to to get to this point 1041 00:38:57,430 --> 00:38:55,119 and we are absolutely 1042 00:38:59,270 --> 00:38:57,440 delighted to have an extended family to 1043 00:39:01,430 --> 00:38:59,280 share 1044 00:39:02,630 --> 00:39:01,440 the experiences that 1045 00:39:04,630 --> 00:39:02,640 have 1046 00:39:06,950 --> 00:39:04,640 really enabled 1047 00:39:09,109 --> 00:39:06,960 enormous science to be done 1048 00:39:10,950 --> 00:39:09,119 in fact 1049 00:39:12,550 --> 00:39:10,960 you know really the science is not done 1050 00:39:14,310 --> 00:39:12,560 until we share it 1051 00:39:16,150 --> 00:39:14,320 this is really just the beginning of a 1052 00:39:18,310 --> 00:39:16,160 number of discoveries 1053 00:39:20,390 --> 00:39:18,320 that the data will reveal as we try to 1054 00:39:22,310 --> 00:39:20,400 figure out what the physical phenomena 1055 00:39:24,550 --> 00:39:22,320 are that that are being described in 1056 00:39:25,750 --> 00:39:24,560 those observations 1057 00:39:28,630 --> 00:39:25,760 those will 1058 00:39:31,510 --> 00:39:28,640 live on for many decades afterwards and 1059 00:39:33,750 --> 00:39:31,520 and already they're beckoning us to go 1060 00:39:36,630 --> 00:39:33,760 back you know between voyager and 1061 00:39:39,510 --> 00:39:36,640 cassini was 30 years 1062 00:39:42,310 --> 00:39:39,520 and um i i believe that will be much 1063 00:39:43,589 --> 00:39:42,320 shorter the next time around okay we're 1064 00:39:45,349 --> 00:39:43,599 going to take a couple of questions from 1065 00:39:46,950 --> 00:39:45,359 social media we've got jason townsend 1066 00:39:49,109 --> 00:39:46,960 from nasa headquarters jason what's 1067 00:39:51,030 --> 00:39:49,119 going on indeed there's a lot of 1068 00:39:53,270 --> 00:39:51,040 interest online here our first question 1069 00:39:55,670 --> 00:39:53,280 here comes from 1070 00:39:57,510 --> 00:39:55,680 salma on twitter who asks will cassini 1071 00:39:59,030 --> 00:39:57,520 completely evaporate in the atmosphere 1072 00:40:00,790 --> 00:39:59,040 of saturn or will it crash into the 1073 00:40:03,589 --> 00:40:00,800 surface of the planet 1074 00:40:05,190 --> 00:40:03,599 it will be completely vaporized like 1075 00:40:06,710 --> 00:40:05,200 many meteorites at earth that won't 1076 00:40:08,790 --> 00:40:06,720 they're nothing there's if there is a 1077 00:40:11,190 --> 00:40:08,800 surface of saturn it's at a hellishly 1078 00:40:13,030 --> 00:40:11,200 hot and pressure and temperature and 1079 00:40:14,950 --> 00:40:13,040 anything from cassini will vaporize long 1080 00:40:16,710 --> 00:40:14,960 before 1081 00:40:18,870 --> 00:40:16,720 wonderful lots of other questions here 1082 00:40:20,790 --> 00:40:18,880 asking about images here so evelyn on 1083 00:40:23,349 --> 00:40:20,800 twitter asks will cassini be able to 1084 00:40:24,790 --> 00:40:23,359 take a close-up image of saturn as it 1085 00:40:26,950 --> 00:40:24,800 plunges 1086 00:40:29,430 --> 00:40:26,960 no we don't have the data rate to 1087 00:40:31,589 --> 00:40:29,440 support sending back images in real time 1088 00:40:33,990 --> 00:40:31,599 so the instruments that i showed you did 1089 00:40:36,630 --> 00:40:34,000 not include the cameras for those final 1090 00:40:38,150 --> 00:40:36,640 few moments for the plunge so we'll be 1091 00:40:40,710 --> 00:40:38,160 getting those images back the final 1092 00:40:43,030 --> 00:40:40,720 image will be of the place where cassini 1093 00:40:45,030 --> 00:40:43,040 will go but it'll be from about 14 hours 1094 00:40:46,630 --> 00:40:45,040 earlier 1095 00:40:49,109 --> 00:40:46,640 all right next question here comes from 1096 00:40:51,990 --> 00:40:49,119 twitter user billiman who asks would it 1097 00:40:53,670 --> 00:40:52,000 be possible to use a low gain antenna at 1098 00:40:55,589 --> 00:40:53,680 a very low bit rate to monitor a 1099 00:40:59,080 --> 00:40:55,599 heartbeat from cassini just a little 1100 00:41:04,550 --> 00:41:01,750 [Laughter] 1101 00:41:06,790 --> 00:41:04,560 i'll i'll repeat that for the audience 1102 00:41:08,790 --> 00:41:06,800 the spacecraft engineer is on the is in 1103 00:41:10,230 --> 00:41:08,800 the second row and the answer is a 1104 00:41:12,950 --> 00:41:10,240 resounding no 1105 00:41:15,349 --> 00:41:12,960 the uh if we'd done that we would have 1106 00:41:16,069 --> 00:41:15,359 given up some science data and really 1107 00:41:20,630 --> 00:41:16,079 the 1108 00:41:22,550 --> 00:41:20,640 those last packets of 1109 00:41:23,829 --> 00:41:22,560 of spectrometer data was much more 1110 00:41:24,870 --> 00:41:23,839 important 1111 00:41:26,630 --> 00:41:24,880 okay we're going to go back to the 1112 00:41:29,670 --> 00:41:26,640 phones i think we've got leo enright 1113 00:41:31,190 --> 00:41:29,680 from irish television leo can hear us 1114 00:41:33,750 --> 00:41:31,200 yeah thanks very much in fact my 1115 00:41:36,069 --> 00:41:33,760 question isn't entirely unrelated to the 1116 00:41:38,950 --> 00:41:36,079 last one because i i'm wondering there 1117 00:41:40,790 --> 00:41:38,960 has been some speculation that a good 1118 00:41:42,630 --> 00:41:40,800 telescope on earth and i presume a 1119 00:41:45,270 --> 00:41:42,640 really good one would be able to see 1120 00:41:47,349 --> 00:41:45,280 this happen is that the case 1121 00:41:49,030 --> 00:41:47,359 well we're going to try and look from 1122 00:41:50,390 --> 00:41:49,040 with telescopes from the earth we're 1123 00:41:52,150 --> 00:41:50,400 just not sure 1124 00:41:53,750 --> 00:41:52,160 this flash will be occurring on the day 1125 00:41:55,750 --> 00:41:53,760 side of saturn 1126 00:41:58,790 --> 00:41:55,760 and we've done some calculations about 1127 00:42:02,790 --> 00:41:58,800 brightness we think it's not very likely 1128 00:42:05,030 --> 00:42:02,800 but we're sure going to look anyway 1129 00:42:06,150 --> 00:42:05,040 okay one more question on the phones i'm 1130 00:42:08,309 --> 00:42:06,160 going to uh 1131 00:42:10,790 --> 00:42:08,319 i think we've got dave mosher from 1132 00:42:12,390 --> 00:42:10,800 business insider 1133 00:42:13,829 --> 00:42:12,400 dave are you guys hear me yeah we sure 1134 00:42:15,349 --> 00:42:13,839 can 1135 00:42:17,670 --> 00:42:15,359 all right great um actually had a 1136 00:42:19,589 --> 00:42:17,680 follow-up to uh the previous question 1137 00:42:21,910 --> 00:42:19,599 and then one more new one 1138 00:42:23,990 --> 00:42:21,920 do we know which observatories in the 1139 00:42:25,750 --> 00:42:24,000 southern hemisphere or wherever on earth 1140 00:42:27,430 --> 00:42:25,760 are going to be trying to see this thing 1141 00:42:30,390 --> 00:42:27,440 that's my first question 1142 00:42:32,069 --> 00:42:30,400 for whoever can best answer it and then 1143 00:42:34,230 --> 00:42:32,079 sort of related to that but 1144 00:42:36,550 --> 00:42:34,240 about the data that's coming back 1145 00:42:38,230 --> 00:42:36,560 um i just checked the forecast for 1146 00:42:39,910 --> 00:42:38,240 australia and it does look like there's 1147 00:42:42,069 --> 00:42:39,920 a little cloud and 1148 00:42:44,150 --> 00:42:42,079 and rain in the forecast for the next 1149 00:42:45,589 --> 00:42:44,160 few days i'm curious 1150 00:42:47,270 --> 00:42:45,599 if you guys are worried about that at 1151 00:42:48,230 --> 00:42:47,280 all or if it's 1152 00:42:50,870 --> 00:42:48,240 you're confident that you're going to 1153 00:42:52,230 --> 00:42:50,880 get this data back thanks 1154 00:42:53,750 --> 00:42:52,240 well the observatories we're going to be 1155 00:42:55,990 --> 00:42:53,760 using are 1156 00:42:58,710 --> 00:42:56,000 mostly in australia australia of course 1157 00:43:00,150 --> 00:42:58,720 canberra has a great view of cassini 1158 00:43:01,670 --> 00:43:00,160 also we're going to be using some 1159 00:43:03,990 --> 00:43:01,680 smaller telescopes we're going to try 1160 00:43:05,910 --> 00:43:04,000 and look from india from china 1161 00:43:08,230 --> 00:43:05,920 possibly from taiwan we're really 1162 00:43:09,670 --> 00:43:08,240 encouraging our amateurs too 1163 00:43:11,750 --> 00:43:09,680 to get out there and look with their 1164 00:43:14,150 --> 00:43:11,760 telescopes we don't have any giant 1165 00:43:16,069 --> 00:43:14,160 telescopes in that region where we can 1166 00:43:17,990 --> 00:43:16,079 see cassini so we're just saying hey 1167 00:43:20,710 --> 00:43:18,000 everybody go out take a look and we'll 1168 00:43:23,910 --> 00:43:22,470 we have um 1169 00:43:25,910 --> 00:43:23,920 every confidence that we're going to get 1170 00:43:28,309 --> 00:43:25,920 the data back it's going to take a 1171 00:43:29,990 --> 00:43:28,319 pretty hellicious weather rainstorm to 1172 00:43:32,230 --> 00:43:30,000 to take out the data we've got our data 1173 00:43:35,190 --> 00:43:32,240 rates down at a very low level if we can 1174 00:43:37,990 --> 00:43:35,200 maintain the 70 meter antenna we have a 1175 00:43:39,510 --> 00:43:38,000 lot of margin if we do lose the 70 meter 1176 00:43:41,670 --> 00:43:39,520 dish then our margin is a little bit 1177 00:43:42,710 --> 00:43:41,680 lower but we're still i believe 1178 00:43:44,309 --> 00:43:42,720 comfortable 1179 00:43:47,190 --> 00:43:44,319 worst case 1180 00:43:49,109 --> 00:43:47,200 we still have the new norcia complex 1181 00:43:51,510 --> 00:43:49,119 over on the other side of the continent 1182 00:43:54,150 --> 00:43:51,520 that is not really prepared to 1183 00:43:55,589 --> 00:43:54,160 decommutate our telemetry immediately 1184 00:43:57,030 --> 00:43:55,599 but all the data will be on the ground 1185 00:43:59,589 --> 00:43:57,040 and we can build the right system to 1186 00:44:02,150 --> 00:43:59,599 take it back apart so we'll get the data 1187 00:44:03,750 --> 00:44:02,160 it's just a question of how soon 1188 00:44:05,910 --> 00:44:03,760 okay thanks guys we're going to go back 1189 00:44:07,349 --> 00:44:05,920 to social for a couple more questions 1190 00:44:08,870 --> 00:44:07,359 jason 1191 00:44:11,510 --> 00:44:08,880 all right um 1192 00:44:16,950 --> 00:44:11,520 twitter user jason asks when will a 1193 00:44:20,870 --> 00:44:19,109 that's for me 1194 00:44:23,750 --> 00:44:20,880 i i sort of 1195 00:44:26,630 --> 00:44:23,760 begged for that question 1196 00:44:30,069 --> 00:44:26,640 the observations by cassini have been so 1197 00:44:32,550 --> 00:44:30,079 remarkable for enceladus and titan 1198 00:44:35,430 --> 00:44:32,560 that indeed last year we announced the 1199 00:44:37,430 --> 00:44:35,440 inclusion of those two objects in our 1200 00:44:38,710 --> 00:44:37,440 focused science program called new 1201 00:44:40,950 --> 00:44:38,720 frontiers 1202 00:44:43,750 --> 00:44:40,960 those proposals are in and currently 1203 00:44:44,950 --> 00:44:43,760 under evaluation and they do indeed 1204 00:44:48,069 --> 00:44:44,960 include 1205 00:44:51,510 --> 00:44:48,079 proposals to go back to titan and 1206 00:44:54,150 --> 00:44:51,520 enceladus so we'll look through this 1207 00:44:56,309 --> 00:44:54,160 competition and see what happens 1208 00:44:58,870 --> 00:44:56,319 okay uh you got another question there 1209 00:45:01,030 --> 00:44:58,880 jason sure uh this one comes from uh 1210 00:45:02,550 --> 00:45:01,040 pietro who asks if you could go back and 1211 00:45:06,150 --> 00:45:02,560 change something in cassini an 1212 00:45:09,670 --> 00:45:06,160 instrument or skill what would it be 1213 00:45:14,950 --> 00:45:12,230 okay if i could go back and change some 1214 00:45:17,829 --> 00:45:14,960 instruments on cassini i think i'd 1215 00:45:20,550 --> 00:45:17,839 select flying some more capable mass 1216 00:45:23,109 --> 00:45:20,560 spectrometers you know if we had known 1217 00:45:25,430 --> 00:45:23,119 about the geysers on enceladus ahead of 1218 00:45:27,670 --> 00:45:25,440 time that would have perhaps guided us 1219 00:45:31,030 --> 00:45:27,680 something to go back and perhaps look 1220 00:45:32,710 --> 00:45:31,040 for amino acids fatty acids possible 1221 00:45:34,550 --> 00:45:32,720 evidence of life so if i could change 1222 00:45:36,069 --> 00:45:34,560 one thing it'd be to carry some 1223 00:45:37,589 --> 00:45:36,079 spectrometers 1224 00:45:39,109 --> 00:45:37,599 that could do some work for of her 1225 00:45:44,710 --> 00:45:39,119 looking for life 1226 00:45:49,109 --> 00:45:47,030 you know we we went in with everything 1227 00:45:52,230 --> 00:45:49,119 we possibly could we had the swiss army 1228 00:45:55,109 --> 00:45:52,240 knife and now we know so much more now 1229 00:45:56,710 --> 00:45:55,119 we can fine-tune it but this spacecraft 1230 00:45:58,630 --> 00:45:56,720 i i like i said i couldn't have asked 1231 00:46:02,230 --> 00:45:58,640 for anything 1232 00:46:07,589 --> 00:46:02,240 all right we're going to come back to 1233 00:46:11,670 --> 00:46:09,270 i'm emily locawello with the planetary 1234 00:46:13,270 --> 00:46:11,680 society with a couple science questions 1235 00:46:14,790 --> 00:46:13,280 um hunter i'm wondering if you could 1236 00:46:17,109 --> 00:46:14,800 tell us a little bit more about that 1237 00:46:18,950 --> 00:46:17,119 ring rain concept that you're trying to 1238 00:46:20,870 --> 00:46:18,960 test and how what you're learning about 1239 00:46:22,630 --> 00:46:20,880 it and linda i know that there's a 1240 00:46:24,309 --> 00:46:22,640 science team meeting going on this week 1241 00:46:26,309 --> 00:46:24,319 i'm wondering if you can share any of 1242 00:46:28,950 --> 00:46:26,319 the early exciting results from the 1243 00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:28,960 proximal mission 1244 00:46:32,630 --> 00:46:31,440 well the ring rain concept as i 1245 00:46:35,829 --> 00:46:32,640 mentioned was 1246 00:46:37,990 --> 00:46:35,839 first introduced in the 1980s and it was 1247 00:46:40,069 --> 00:46:38,000 a concept of 1248 00:46:42,630 --> 00:46:40,079 material from the rings mainly water 1249 00:46:44,150 --> 00:46:42,640 vapor and ice grains 1250 00:46:46,230 --> 00:46:44,160 descending into the atmosphere and 1251 00:46:48,470 --> 00:46:46,240 causing changes in the atmosphere 1252 00:46:50,790 --> 00:46:48,480 and we have measured that and we've we 1253 00:46:53,510 --> 00:46:50,800 do see the water but we see other 1254 00:46:54,870 --> 00:46:53,520 constituents as well so it's much more 1255 00:46:57,990 --> 00:46:54,880 complex 1256 00:46:59,990 --> 00:46:58,000 than we imagined before and we'll be you 1257 00:47:02,230 --> 00:47:00,000 know we're trying to 1258 00:47:04,069 --> 00:47:02,240 we're traveling at 31 kilometers per 1259 00:47:05,190 --> 00:47:04,079 second and gases coming into our 1260 00:47:06,550 --> 00:47:05,200 instrument 1261 00:47:07,430 --> 00:47:06,560 very fast 1262 00:47:14,470 --> 00:47:07,440 and 1263 00:47:16,470 --> 00:47:14,480 we so we're working very carefully to 1264 00:47:18,230 --> 00:47:16,480 understand that before we 1265 00:47:19,990 --> 00:47:18,240 go out and tell the public what we're 1266 00:47:21,670 --> 00:47:20,000 seeing 1267 00:47:23,510 --> 00:47:21,680 yes emily we're having one of our 1268 00:47:25,910 --> 00:47:23,520 project science group meetings in fact 1269 00:47:28,390 --> 00:47:25,920 it's the 73rd meeting we were having of 1270 00:47:30,950 --> 00:47:28,400 this group since we first got started 1271 00:47:33,349 --> 00:47:30,960 and there have just been some tremendous 1272 00:47:35,910 --> 00:47:33,359 presentations about the grand finale 1273 00:47:38,390 --> 00:47:35,920 science some of it only days old and 1274 00:47:40,630 --> 00:47:38,400 what i can tell you is that many of our 1275 00:47:42,630 --> 00:47:40,640 models we're finding out are too simple 1276 00:47:44,230 --> 00:47:42,640 or just out and out wrong 1277 00:47:46,390 --> 00:47:44,240 and so the scientists are carefully 1278 00:47:48,870 --> 00:47:46,400 looking at and calibrating their data 1279 00:47:50,230 --> 00:47:48,880 and comparing notes and discussing it 1280 00:47:53,030 --> 00:47:50,240 and there's nothing that makes a 1281 00:47:54,790 --> 00:47:53,040 scientist happier than finding out hey 1282 00:47:56,870 --> 00:47:54,800 my model's wrong i have to sort of start 1283 00:47:59,190 --> 00:47:56,880 over and and work it through so we have 1284 00:48:01,589 --> 00:47:59,200 a lot of very very happy scientists 1285 00:48:03,030 --> 00:48:01,599 we're meeting down at caltech and so 1286 00:48:05,270 --> 00:48:03,040 hopefully in the coming months we'll 1287 00:48:07,349 --> 00:48:05,280 have some answers but the in particular 1288 00:48:09,109 --> 00:48:07,359 the interior of the planet is very 1289 00:48:10,790 --> 00:48:09,119 different than we expected its gravity 1290 00:48:12,150 --> 00:48:10,800 field is not at all what we expected 1291 00:48:13,990 --> 00:48:12,160 from our models 1292 00:48:16,870 --> 00:48:14,000 also the magnetic field we're finding 1293 00:48:19,510 --> 00:48:16,880 that the rotation axis of saturn and the 1294 00:48:21,589 --> 00:48:19,520 magnetic field axis are almost perfectly 1295 00:48:22,950 --> 00:48:21,599 aligned and everything we think we know 1296 00:48:25,750 --> 00:48:22,960 tells us that if you don't have at least 1297 00:48:28,470 --> 00:48:25,760 a small tilt you can't maintain those 1298 00:48:30,549 --> 00:48:28,480 currents that sustain a magnetic field 1299 00:48:32,549 --> 00:48:30,559 so we have some more thinking and some 1300 00:48:34,230 --> 00:48:32,559 more work to do 1301 00:48:39,109 --> 00:48:34,240 okay questions here i think there's one 1302 00:48:43,430 --> 00:48:41,829 hi robert perlman with collect space um 1303 00:48:44,630 --> 00:48:43,440 not that there'd be any way of verifying 1304 00:48:46,630 --> 00:48:44,640 this but uh 1305 00:48:48,470 --> 00:48:46,640 has there been any modeling or any even 1306 00:48:50,950 --> 00:48:48,480 best guesses of how cassini's going to 1307 00:48:53,670 --> 00:48:50,960 come apart and what might be the last 1308 00:48:56,150 --> 00:48:53,680 piece to survive 1309 00:48:59,030 --> 00:48:56,160 yes yes there's been very thorough 1310 00:49:01,990 --> 00:48:59,040 analysis of piece by piece 1311 00:49:04,950 --> 00:49:02,000 deconstruction if you will of cassini 1312 00:49:06,069 --> 00:49:04,960 and we believe that the final components 1313 00:49:11,349 --> 00:49:06,079 to 1314 00:49:14,150 --> 00:49:11,359 components that are wrapped around 1315 00:49:16,790 --> 00:49:14,160 the cassinis has these radioactive 1316 00:49:19,270 --> 00:49:16,800 power supplies and each little slug of 1317 00:49:21,430 --> 00:49:19,280 plutonium is wrapped around as wrapped 1318 00:49:23,829 --> 00:49:21,440 with iridium and then they're put inside 1319 00:49:25,670 --> 00:49:23,839 an aeroshell that would in order to 1320 00:49:27,270 --> 00:49:25,680 avoid any possible 1321 00:49:29,750 --> 00:49:27,280 release during a launch accident or 1322 00:49:31,349 --> 00:49:29,760 re-entry and that's just how the iridium 1323 00:49:33,349 --> 00:49:31,359 has a very high melting point and the 1324 00:49:35,670 --> 00:49:33,359 material around them is even higher so 1325 00:49:38,230 --> 00:49:35,680 those will be the last pieces uh other 1326 00:49:39,670 --> 00:49:38,240 than that taking those the the parts of 1327 00:49:40,630 --> 00:49:39,680 the spacecraft that will be shielded 1328 00:49:42,230 --> 00:49:40,640 away 1329 00:49:43,910 --> 00:49:42,240 will last a little bit longer but you 1330 00:49:45,430 --> 00:49:43,920 know a lot of the spacecraft is aluminum 1331 00:49:46,150 --> 00:49:45,440 it's going to melt very quickly a lot of 1332 00:49:47,109 --> 00:49:46,160 its 1333 00:49:49,430 --> 00:49:47,119 carbon 1334 00:49:52,710 --> 00:49:49,440 fiber and mylar and things like that 1335 00:49:57,030 --> 00:49:54,790 okay uh how about some more social media 1336 00:49:58,870 --> 00:49:57,040 questions can you sure here's two good 1337 00:50:01,349 --> 00:49:58,880 ones here uh the first one comes from 1338 00:50:02,950 --> 00:50:01,359 user anshul who asks what is the last 1339 00:50:05,270 --> 00:50:02,960 bit of data that we will receive from 1340 00:50:08,390 --> 00:50:05,280 cassini 1341 00:50:10,309 --> 00:50:08,400 the very last bit of data will include 1342 00:50:12,630 --> 00:50:10,319 the ina neutral mass spectrometer data 1343 00:50:14,309 --> 00:50:12,640 but they come down in packets so we 1344 00:50:16,870 --> 00:50:14,319 don't know if the inms packet will be 1345 00:50:19,030 --> 00:50:16,880 the last one or a magnetometer packet or 1346 00:50:20,870 --> 00:50:19,040 whatever but they'll be coming back as 1347 00:50:23,270 --> 00:50:20,880 quickly as we can send them back so 1348 00:50:27,109 --> 00:50:23,280 we'll find out with that final bit well 1349 00:50:30,150 --> 00:50:27,119 actually to put and we'll see the radio 1350 00:50:31,990 --> 00:50:30,160 signal dissipate so our very last bit of 1351 00:50:33,510 --> 00:50:32,000 science data if we don't get a complete 1352 00:50:35,349 --> 00:50:33,520 packet could very well be the radio 1353 00:50:37,430 --> 00:50:35,359 science 1354 00:50:39,510 --> 00:50:37,440 all right lots of folks are asking about 1355 00:50:41,510 --> 00:50:39,520 what happens next so lisa here says what 1356 00:50:43,430 --> 00:50:41,520 happens to the team working with cassini 1357 00:50:44,950 --> 00:50:43,440 saturn after the missions ends are they 1358 00:50:46,470 --> 00:50:44,960 just reassigned to new projects or 1359 00:50:48,870 --> 00:50:46,480 missions at nasa are they off job 1360 00:50:51,990 --> 00:50:48,880 hunting 1361 00:50:54,309 --> 00:50:52,000 well they're most most of the engineers 1362 00:50:56,309 --> 00:50:54,319 there's there is an active planetary 1363 00:50:58,150 --> 00:50:56,319 program here at jpl and a lot of mission 1364 00:51:00,630 --> 00:50:58,160 of our engineers have already 1365 00:51:03,030 --> 00:51:00,640 uh kind of have semi-migrated over to 1366 00:51:04,950 --> 00:51:03,040 these other opportunities uh we're not 1367 00:51:06,390 --> 00:51:04,960 we're not having a big layoffs or 1368 00:51:08,950 --> 00:51:06,400 anything like that there's lots of work 1369 00:51:10,950 --> 00:51:08,960 for everyone some of us have some 1370 00:51:11,910 --> 00:51:10,960 paperwork to do 1371 00:51:13,349 --> 00:51:11,920 so 1372 00:51:14,300 --> 00:51:13,359 and 1373 00:51:16,309 --> 00:51:14,310 not just me 1374 00:51:18,390 --> 00:51:16,319 [Laughter] 1375 00:51:21,109 --> 00:51:18,400 so there's a lot of documentation and of 1376 00:51:22,630 --> 00:51:21,119 course the science data to the extent 1377 00:51:25,670 --> 00:51:22,640 that it can be funded 1378 00:51:28,470 --> 00:51:25,680 by research grants will continue for 1379 00:51:30,069 --> 00:51:28,480 decades so that that those opportunities 1380 00:51:32,230 --> 00:51:30,079 for both our current and young 1381 00:51:33,750 --> 00:51:32,240 scientists will will be at least for 1382 00:51:35,109 --> 00:51:33,760 another couple of decades got to be 1383 00:51:38,069 --> 00:51:35,119 right and the cassini scientists are 1384 00:51:39,910 --> 00:51:38,079 funded for the next year basically to 1385 00:51:42,390 --> 00:51:39,920 make sure they carefully calibrate and 1386 00:51:44,630 --> 00:51:42,400 understand all of this grand finale data 1387 00:51:46,710 --> 00:51:44,640 to put it in the planetary data system 1388 00:51:48,790 --> 00:51:46,720 and from there it will be accessible to 1389 00:51:51,109 --> 00:51:48,800 future scientists you know who many who 1390 00:51:52,790 --> 00:51:51,119 knows how many phd theses will be 1391 00:51:54,470 --> 00:51:52,800 written in the coming decades with 1392 00:51:56,630 --> 00:51:54,480 cassini data 1393 00:51:59,670 --> 00:51:56,640 so indeed uh you know cassini's really 1394 00:52:02,069 --> 00:51:59,680 given everyone on-the-job training 1395 00:52:03,990 --> 00:52:02,079 uh on operating spacecraft and and 1396 00:52:06,309 --> 00:52:04,000 keeping our instruments healthy and 1397 00:52:11,270 --> 00:52:06,319 analyzing the data and so 1398 00:52:13,829 --> 00:52:11,280 we have a cadre of highly capable 1399 00:52:15,589 --> 00:52:13,839 scientists engineers 1400 00:52:17,750 --> 00:52:15,599 that 1401 00:52:20,150 --> 00:52:17,760 will keep busy 1402 00:52:21,990 --> 00:52:20,160 for many decades our planetary program 1403 00:52:23,990 --> 00:52:22,000 is doing well 1404 00:52:26,630 --> 00:52:24,000 we have tremendous support by the 1405 00:52:28,950 --> 00:52:26,640 administration and congress we have 1406 00:52:32,150 --> 00:52:28,960 missions that we're planning now 1407 00:52:34,069 --> 00:52:32,160 and we really have a very bright future 1408 00:52:36,390 --> 00:52:34,079 all right we've got time for another 1409 00:52:40,390 --> 00:52:36,400 quick follow-up from leo enright from 1410 00:52:44,790 --> 00:52:42,790 i have a question for earl and linda 1411 00:52:47,349 --> 00:52:44,800 about enceladus 1412 00:52:49,910 --> 00:52:47,359 which is a tiny moon not much bigger 1413 00:52:52,470 --> 00:52:49,920 than ireland i have to point out 1414 00:52:55,750 --> 00:52:52,480 and i mean it's just astonishing that 1415 00:52:58,710 --> 00:52:55,760 it's uh it's so active uh earl do you 1416 00:53:01,270 --> 00:52:58,720 know that you have any kant's idea of 1417 00:53:04,870 --> 00:53:01,280 the chances that cassini would have 1418 00:53:06,470 --> 00:53:04,880 actually collided with this tiny moon 1419 00:53:08,630 --> 00:53:06,480 and for linda really if you wouldn't 1420 00:53:11,349 --> 00:53:08,640 mind just telling us 1421 00:53:14,069 --> 00:53:11,359 on the scale of things that you've seen 1422 00:53:16,630 --> 00:53:14,079 in your extraordinary career i mean 1423 00:53:18,309 --> 00:53:16,640 where does enceladus fit in 1424 00:53:22,630 --> 00:53:18,319 as as the 1425 00:53:26,150 --> 00:53:22,640 the amazing surprise as it were 1426 00:53:27,829 --> 00:53:26,160 well we we didn't do the math um 1427 00:53:30,549 --> 00:53:27,839 well actually i take that back we did do 1428 00:53:32,630 --> 00:53:30,559 the math several times for enceladus and 1429 00:53:35,829 --> 00:53:32,640 as long as we control the spacecraft no 1430 00:53:37,910 --> 00:53:35,839 problems but we were had a big challenge 1431 00:53:40,069 --> 00:53:37,920 in an uncontrolled spacecraft not 1432 00:53:42,870 --> 00:53:40,079 hitting within a chance of one in a 1433 00:53:44,470 --> 00:53:42,880 million enceladus in the next 50 years 1434 00:53:46,309 --> 00:53:44,480 the issues are of course that once it's 1435 00:53:47,829 --> 00:53:46,319 uncontrolled you've got titan out there 1436 00:53:49,990 --> 00:53:47,839 pushing it around it could push you just 1437 00:53:51,430 --> 00:53:50,000 about as you saw on those graphics just 1438 00:53:55,109 --> 00:53:51,440 about anywhere you wanted to go and 1439 00:53:58,069 --> 00:53:55,119 encelado celgus was a was a good size 1440 00:54:00,309 --> 00:53:58,079 target so we didn't do the actual math 1441 00:54:01,910 --> 00:54:00,319 for that any of those other than to 1442 00:54:04,630 --> 00:54:01,920 convince ourselves that an uncontrolled 1443 00:54:07,910 --> 00:54:04,640 spacecraft either had to be well outside 1444 00:54:10,309 --> 00:54:07,920 of saturn i mean way way outside or 1445 00:54:11,829 --> 00:54:10,319 inside 1446 00:54:13,829 --> 00:54:11,839 we have time for one last question let 1447 00:54:15,670 --> 00:54:13,839 me ask you the second part for the uh 1448 00:54:17,510 --> 00:54:15,680 for enceladus i would say enceladus 1449 00:54:19,270 --> 00:54:17,520 discoveries made by cassini are 1450 00:54:22,549 --> 00:54:19,280 certainly one of the most astonishing 1451 00:54:25,510 --> 00:54:22,559 set of discoveries for planetary science 1452 00:54:28,630 --> 00:54:25,520 to find that there's an ocean world so 1453 00:54:30,390 --> 00:54:28,640 tiny with the possibility of life so far 1454 00:54:32,630 --> 00:54:30,400 from the sun ten times further from the 1455 00:54:34,790 --> 00:54:32,640 sun than the earth has opened up our 1456 00:54:35,589 --> 00:54:34,800 paradigm of where you might look for 1457 00:54:38,309 --> 00:54:35,599 life 1458 00:54:40,710 --> 00:54:38,319 both within our own solar system and in 1459 00:54:42,789 --> 00:54:40,720 the exoplanet systems beyond so these 1460 00:54:45,270 --> 00:54:42,799 these ocean worlds enceladus titan also 1461 00:54:46,549 --> 00:54:45,280 has a liquid ocean has really changed 1462 00:54:50,230 --> 00:54:46,559 our thinking 1463 00:54:53,829 --> 00:54:51,670 okay well i actually i think that's 1464 00:54:55,430 --> 00:54:53,839 about all the time we have for today for 1465 00:54:56,870 --> 00:54:55,440 our briefing and thanks again to our 1466 00:54:57,990 --> 00:54:56,880 speakers and to all of you for your 1467 00:55:01,109 --> 00:54:58,000 questions 1468 00:55:02,710 --> 00:55:01,119 um here's how you can watch uh cassini 1469 00:55:04,789 --> 00:55:02,720 coverage that nasa television has to 1470 00:55:06,630 --> 00:55:04,799 offer over the next couple of days 1471 00:55:08,950 --> 00:55:06,640 tomorrow september 14th we'll have a 1472 00:55:11,670 --> 00:55:08,960 speaker program as part of our nasa 1473 00:55:15,190 --> 00:55:11,680 social event on cassini from 1 to 2 p.m 1474 00:55:16,630 --> 00:55:15,200 pacific time that's 4 to 5 p.m eastern 1475 00:55:18,789 --> 00:55:16,640 then on friday we'll have live 1476 00:55:21,510 --> 00:55:18,799 commentary from mission control from 4 1477 00:55:22,710 --> 00:55:21,520 to 5 30 a.m pacific that's 7 to 8 30 1478 00:55:24,309 --> 00:55:22,720 eastern 1479 00:55:26,230 --> 00:55:24,319 and following loss of signal we'll have 1480 00:55:28,870 --> 00:55:26,240 a post mission briefing right here 1481 00:55:33,430 --> 00:55:28,880 starting at 6 30 a.m pacific you can 1482 00:55:35,589 --> 00:55:33,440 watch live at nasa.gov live 1483 00:55:37,589 --> 00:55:35,599 more info about cassini is available at 1484 00:55:39,670 --> 00:55:37,599 nasa.gov and you'll find a detailed 1485 00:55:41,589 --> 00:55:39,680 online toolkit about cassini's grand 1486 00:55:43,109 --> 00:55:41,599 finale and end of mission 1487 00:55:46,630 --> 00:55:43,119 on the mission website at 1488 00:55:50,230 --> 00:55:48,470 grant finale 1489 00:55:51,910 --> 00:55:50,240 and uh i think we've got a couple more 1490 00:55:53,990 --> 00:55:51,920 minutes uh before the end of the hour 1491 00:55:55,589 --> 00:55:54,000 we'll end now with a replay of some of 1492 00:55:57,109 --> 00:55:55,599 the images and video we've shared during 1493 00:55:58,980 --> 00:55:57,119 our presentation today thank you so much 1494 00:56:24,309 --> 00:55:58,990 for joining us 1495 00:56:39,990 --> 00:56:26,309 okay everybody uh just an announcement 1496 00:56:58,630 --> 00:56:41,670 a couple of them already have interviews 1497 00:56:58,640 --> 00:57:49,910 okay