[meteorite-list] Cassini: Rhea Flyby on March 2, 2010

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:37:00 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201002261837.o1QIb0XU027718_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/flybys/rhea20100302/

Cassini
Rhea Flyby (R-2) - March 2, 2010

Cassini swoops down to within about 100 kilometers of Rhea to "sniff"
the moon. Particle and fields instruments will try to determine what is
coming off Rhea. The last targeted flyby of Rhea happened in November 2005.

Approaching Rhea, RADAR performs a raster scan of the moon's surface to
obtain simultaneous scatterometry and radiometry measurements to
understand the texture and composition of the surface.

The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) takes over prime pointing 45
minutes before closest approach to observe the interaction before Rhea
and Saturn's magnetosphere. After closest approach, the Visible and
Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) and the Composite Infrared
Spectrometer (CIRS) will image Rhea at visible and infrared wavelengths
to better understand its geologic history and composition, and CIRS will
continue to observe while Rhea goes into eclipse.

Once past Rhea, the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) observes an
egress Saturn occultation.

         
Rhea Flyby
March 2, 2010 (SCET)

Altitude
100.9 kilometers (62.7 miles)

Speed
8.6 km/sec (19,000 mph)
Received on Fri 26 Feb 2010 01:37:00 PM PST