Exploring Saturn and Titan: The Cassini Mission

The Cassini mission, launched in 1997, is set to orbit Saturn and release the Hogan's Lander to explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon. The spacecraft, powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators, will complete a four-year mission involving at least 70 orbits. The Hogan's Lander will descend to Titan's surface, sending atmospheric data back to Cassini, which will relay it to Earth. Daily, Cassini will transmit gigabytes of data for analysis by scientists.

What is unique about Titan compared to other moons in the solar system?

• It is the only moon with liquid water.

• It is the closest moon to its planet.

• It has an atmosphere.

• It is the largest moon in the solar system.

Which planets did Cassini use for gravity assists during its journey to Saturn?

• Venus, Earth, and Jupiter

• Venus, Earth, and Mars

• Mars, Earth, and Jupiter

• Mercury, Venus, and Earth

What powers the Cassini spacecraft?

• Solar panels

• Nuclear reactors

• Radioisotope thermoelectric generators

• Chemical batteries

How will the Huygens lander reach Titan's surface?

• By deploying parachutes

• By using a rocket engine

• By gliding

• By free-falling

How much data is Cassini expected to send back to Earth each day?

• Several terabytes

• Several kilobytes

• Several gigabytes

• Several megabytes