Space

NASA releases animation of Titan landing to mark anniversary

NASA releases animation of Titan landing to mark anniversary
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Huygens being assembled (Image: ESA)
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Huygens being assembled (Image: ESA)
Digital image of the interior of Huygens showing the bottom tier of instruments (Image: ESA)
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Digital image of the interior of Huygens showing the bottom tier of instruments (Image: ESA)
Digital image of the interior of Huygens showing the top tier of instruments (Image: ESA)
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Digital image of the interior of Huygens showing the top tier of instruments (Image: ESA)
Digital cross section of Huygens (Image: ESA)
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Digital cross section of Huygens (Image: ESA)
Huygens' heat shield being installed on descent module (ESA)
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Huygens' heat shield being installed on descent module (ESA)
Thermal insulation being installed on Huygens (Image: ESA)
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Thermal insulation being installed on Huygens (Image: ESA)
Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
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Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
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Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
Artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft deploying Huygens (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
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Artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft deploying Huygens (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
Artist's impression of the Cassini/Huygens spacecraft (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
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Artist's impression of the Cassini/Huygens spacecraft (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
Saturn and its moons (Image: NASA)
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Saturn and its moons (Image: NASA)
River channels on Titan (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
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River channels on Titan (Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech)
Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
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Huygens being mated with Cassini (Image: NASA/ESA)
Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of Huygens landing on Titan (Image: ESA)
Huygens' descent module (Image: ESA)
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Huygens' descent module (Image: ESA)
Huygens' back cover (Image: ESA)
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Huygens' back cover (Image: ESA)
Panoramic view of Huygens' landing site (Image: ESA)
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Panoramic view of Huygens' landing site (Image: ESA)
Cassini/Huygens launching (Image: NASA)
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Cassini/Huygens launching (Image: NASA)
Titan as seen from Huygens at an altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 mi)
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Titan as seen from Huygens at an altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 mi)
Titan (Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
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Titan (Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
Titan (Image: NASA)
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Titan (Image: NASA)
Infrared image of Titan (Image: NASA)
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Infrared image of Titan (Image: NASA)
Internal structure of Titan (Image: A. D. Fortes/UCL/STFC)
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Internal structure of Titan (Image: A. D. Fortes/UCL/STFC)
View gallery - 27 images

On August 14, 2005, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Huygens probe landed by parachute on the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. To commemorate the eighth anniversary of this historic event, NASA has released an animation that recreates that landing based on instrument readings taken by the unmanned probe during its final descent through the Titanian atmosphere.

The 318 kilogram (701 lb) Huygens probe was launched on October 15, 1997 as a piggyback payload on NASA’s Cassini orbiter as part of a mission to make a detailed exploration of Saturn and its moons. On December 25, 2004, Huygens detached itself from Cassini and fell toward Titan. Because Titan has a substantial atmosphere, the probe was equipped with a heat shield and parachutes for the descent. On touchdown it made history as the first landing ever achieved on a body in the outer Solar System.

Panoramic view of Huygens' landing site (Image: ESA)
Panoramic view of Huygens' landing site (Image: ESA)

With only 153 minutes of battery life, which had to cover the descent as well as landing, Huygens had only about 30 minutes of power for exploration. During its brief sojourn, Huygens sent back the first surface images of Titan as well as data on the moon’s atmosphere and weather.

The animation released was created by ESA based on data sent back to Earth during the descent by Huygens via the Cassini orbiter, and recreates the last moments before Huygens’ landing not far from a lake of liquid hydrocarbons.

The animation below recreates the Huygens landing.

Source: NASA via Dvice

View gallery - 27 images
3 comments
3 comments
Mahoot
Really poor animation. These people need to hire real animators, mission visualizers, not kids with computers.
Jeff Michelson
And why only 30 minutes of power? No solar cells?
Charlie Channels
It actually looks like a pretty strong landing.... Did the Rover go through a landing so rough? Because the risk of damaging its hardware is obvious. Or perhaps it's just a very simple and basic animation without real details?