Cassini-Huygens, the joint NASA/ESA/ASI space mission, is due to enter
Saturn's orbit during the early hours of Thursday 1st July 2004.
From 28th June - 3rd July NASA will be operating a newsroom facility
and will be holding daily press briefings during the lead up to Saturn
Orbit Insertion, the event itself and the first results to come
through.
These briefings will be shown on NASA and ESA TV and webcast (see
details below).
Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) is a critical manoeuvre for the
spacecraft. After crossing through the gap between two of the Saturn's
rings Cassini-Huygens will fire its main engine to reduce its speed,
allowing the spacecraft to be captured by Saturn's gravity and enter
orbit. The spacecraft will then begin a four-year tour of the ringed
planet, its mysterious moons, the stunning rings, and its complex
magnetic environment. In December 2004 the Huygens probe will be
released and it will descend onto the surface of Titan on 14th January
2005.
UK scientists are playing significant roles in the mission with
involvement in 6 of the 12 instruments onboard the Cassini orbiter and 2
of the 6 instruments on the Huygens probe. The UK has the lead role in
the magnetometer instrument on Cassini (Imperial College) and the
Surface Science Package on Huygens (Open University).
UK Science Contacts in the States
A number of the UK scientists involved will be at Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in California during SOI, following events as they happen and
awaiting data from their instruments. They will be contactable for media
enquiries. Please note the time difference - JPL operates on PDT which
is equivalent to BST or CET minus 8 hours.
Dr Michele Dougherty, Imperial College - PI on the Magnetometer
instrument (Cassini)
Tel: +1 818 3930318 (JPL office number) - between 28th June and 9th
July.
Mobile: +1 626 3760765
Tel: 020 7594 7757. From 10th July onwards.
Email: m.dougherty@imperial.ac.uk
Professor Carl Murray, Queen Mary, University of London - Co-I on the
Imaging Science Subsystem (Cassini)
Mobile: +44 7976 243883 - between 28th June and 4th July
Office: 0207 8825446 - from 5th July onwards.
Email: c.d.murray@qmul.ac.uk
Professor John Zarnecki, Open University - PI on the Science Surface
Package (Huygens) and Co-I on the Huygens Atmospheric Instrument
Mobile: +44 7769 943883 - between 28th June and 4th July.
Office : 01908 659599 - from 5th July onwards
Email: J.C.Zarnecki@open.ac.uk
NASA/ESA Media Events
Press briefings are currently scheduled for the following dates - all
times subject to confirmation. For further details on the briefing
schedules please see
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/jun/HQ_n4098_saturn_mission.html
Tuesday 29th June
Cassini-Huygens Saturn Orbit Insertion Press Conference -
1700 - 1800 BST
Wednesday 30th June
Insertion Status - 1700 - 1800 BST
Thursday 1st July
Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Live - 0245 - 0600 BST
Dr Michele Dougherty from Imperial College will provide a brief
overview of the Magnetometer instrument on which she is lead scientist
during this broadcast.
Thursday 1st July
Post SOI Press Conference - 0630 - 0730 BST
Thursday 1st July
First Results - 1800 - 1900 BST
Broadcast Information
The Open University in Milton Keynes will be screening broadcasts from
0400 BST on July 1st with a repeat at 0800. Members of the press wishing
to watch the broadcast with Professor Colin Pillinger, head of the
Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Dr Simon Green of the
Huygens probe and other members of the PSSRI team should contact Louis
de la Foret at the Open University (contact details below).
NASA TV
NASA Television is available on AMC-9, transponder 9C, C-Band, located
at 85 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization
is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. Reporters can call in
questions at 202/358-7020.
See http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ for further details.
ESA TV
The ESA TV Service will provide extensive live coverage of all
international press conferences, the orbital insertion on the night of
30th June to 1st July, and the presentation of the first images at JPL.
All transmission details and satellite details are published online and
will be continuously updated at http://television.esa.int
The ESA live TV transmission of the orbit insertion will also be
transmitted on Astra 2C, the satellite reception details being as
follows:-
Astra 2C at 19 degrees East
Transponder 57, horizontal, MPEG-2, MCPC
Frequency 10832 MHz, Symbol rate 22000 MS/sec. Fec= 5/6
Webcast
ESA TV's coverage will be webstreamed - for further details see
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/index.html
For information on NASA's webcast's see http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Space Detectives at the Science Museum - venue for interviews
A new Space Detectives exhibit in the Antenna section of the Science
Museum will provide an apt backdrop for any interviews. Cassini Huygens
features in the display artwork plus there is a small model of Cassini
which can be used. In addition the prototype parachute that will slow
the Huygens probe down as it lands on the surface of Titan, forms part
of the exhibit.
The exhibition is being launched on 29th June. Dr Andrew Coates, a UK
Cassini-Huygens scientist from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory,
UCL, will be speaking.
For further details please contact Ben Ayers in the Science Museum
press office. Tel: 020 7942 4357. Email: ben.ayers@nmsi.ac.uk
Royal Society Summer Science exhibition
The UK Goes to the Planets Consortium has an exhibit at the Royal
Society Summer Exhibition which runs from 4th - 8th July (press preview
on Tuesday 5th July 9.30 - 11am). Some of the UK Cassini-Huygens
scientists will be taking part in this and be showing off the latest
images and data received from the mission.
Press office contacts
Peter Barratt - PPARC Press Office
Tel: 01793 442025. Email: peter.barratt@pparc.ac.uk
Mobile: 0787 9602899
Julia Maddock - PPARC Press Office
Tel: 01793 442094. Email: julia.maddock@pparc.ac.uk
Mobile: 07901 514975
Gill Ormrod - PPARC Press Office
Tel: 01793 442012. Email: gill.ormrod@pparc.ac.uk
Mobile: 0781 801 3509
Franco Bonacina - ESA Press Office
Tel: +33 1 5369 7155. Email: Franco.Bonacina@esa.int
Don Savage - NASA Public Affairs
Tel +1 202 358 1727
Carolina Martinez - JPL Press Office
For interviews with US scientists or mission managers contact Carolina
Martinez at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Media Relations Office +1
818-354-9382 or Email carolina.martinez@jpl.nasa.gov
Steve Warren - BNSC Press Office
Tel: 020 7215 0806. Email: Steven.Warren@bnsc.gsi.gov.uk
Tom Miller - Imperial College Press Office
Tel: 020 7594 6704. Mobile: 07803 886 248. Email:
t.miller@imperial.ac.uk
Sally Webster - Queen Mary, University of London Press Office
Tel: 020 7882 5404. Email: s.webster@qmul.ac.uk
Judith Moore - Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL Press Office
Tel: 020 7679 7678. Mobile: 077333 07596. Email: judith.moore@ucl.ac.uk
Louis de la Foret - Open University Press Office
Tel: 01908 653256. Email: L.delaforet@open.ac.uk
Further UK Cassini-Huygens science contacts
Listed according to the instrument they are involved with but all able
to answer general enquiries about SOI and the mission itself.
Cassini Electron Spectrometer (CAPS-ELS)
Dr Andrew Coates, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL
Tel: 01483 204145. Email: ajc@mssl.ucl.ac.uk
Mobile: 07788 448318
Professor Manuel Grande - Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Tel: 01235 446501. Mail: M.Grande@rl.ac.uk
Magnetometer (MAG)
Dr Nick Achilleos, Imperial College (Cassini science, instruments and
operations)
Tel: 020 75947759. Email: n.achilleos@ic.ac.uk
Dr Ingo Mueller-Wodarg, Imperial College (Titan science, Cassini
science)
Tel: 020 75947674. Email: i.mueller-wodarg@imperial.ac.uk
Professor Stan Cowley, Leicester University
Tel: 0116 2231331. Email: swhc1@ion.le.ac.uk
Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS)
Dr Patrick Irwin, University of Oxford
Tel: 01865 272083. Email: Irwin@atm.ox.ac.uk
Professor Peter Ade, University of Cardiff
Tel: 029 20874643. Email: Peter.Ade@astro.cf.ac.uk
Radio and Plasma Waves Instrument (RPWS)
Dr Hugo Alleyne, University of Sheffield
Co-Investigator on Tel: 0114 222 5630. Email: h.alleyne@sheffield.ac.uk
Cosmic Dust Analyser
Professor Tony McDonnell - Open University
Tel: 01908 659602. Email: j.a.m.mcdonnell@open.ac.uk
Huygens - Science Surface Package and Huygens Atmospheric Instrument
Dr Simon Green
Tel: 01908 659601. Email: s.f.green@open.ac.uk
Dr Andrew Ball
Tel: 01908 659596. Email: a.j.ball@open.ac.uk
Dr Martin Towner
Tel: 01908 659594. Email: m.c.towner@open.ac.uk
Peter Challenor, Southampton Oceanography Centre
Tel: 023 80596413. Email: P.Challenor@soc.soton.ac.uk
UK industrial involvement
UK industry is also playing a significant role in the mission, rising
to the challenge of designing equipment that may have to work
autonomously in a hostile environment at the very low temperatures of
around minus 200 degrees Celsius.
LogicaCMG - Contact: Nick Shave, Space & Satcoms Operations Manager,
LogicaCMG. Alex Rowley. Tel: 0207 4197331. Email: Alex@bbpr.com
Martin Baker Space Systems - Contact: Steve Lingard. Tel: 01865 893210.
Email: steve.lingard@vorticity-systems.com
Irvin-GQ - Contact: Geoff Linaker. Tel: 01656 727000. Email:
geoff.linaker@irvingq.co.uk
IGG Component Technology - Contact: Graham Peters. Tel: 01329 829311.
Email: graham.peters@igg.co.uk
Ultra Electronics - Contact: Paul Austin. Tel: 01543 878888. Email:
paustin@ultra-pmes.com
Mike Hellard. Tel: 01543 878888. Email: mhellard@ultra-pmes.com
Further details about the UK involvement can be found at:-
http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/ch_saturn.asp
Images
Images of Cassini and Huygens can be found on the following websites:-
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