Huygens (spacecraft)
Huygens (/ˈhɔɪɡənz/ HOY-gənz) was an atmospheric entry robotic space probe that landed successfully on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005. Built and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), launched by NASA, it was part of the Cassini–Huygens mission and became the first spacecraft to land on Titan and the farthest landing from Earth a spacecraft has ever made. The probe was named after the 17th-century Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Titan in 1655.
A full-size replica of the probe, 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) across | |
| Mission type | Lander |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA / ASI / NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1997-061C |
| Website | Huygens home page |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space (then Aérospatiale) |
| BOL mass | 320 kg (710 lb) |
| Power | 1800 Wh total |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 08:42, October 15, 1997 (UTC) |
| Rocket | Titan IV(401)B piggybacking with Cassini orbiter |
| Deployment date | December 25, 2004 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 13:37, January 14, 2005 (UTC) |
| Landing date | 12:43, January 14, 2005 (UTC) |
| Titan lander | |
| Landing date | 12:43, January 14, 2005 (SCET UTC) |
| Landing site | 10.573°S 192.335°W |
ESA quadrilateral mission insignia for Huygens | |
The combined Cassini–Huygens spacecraft was launched from Earth on 15 October 1997. Huygens separated from the Cassini orbiter on 25 December 2004, and landed on Titan on 14 January 2005 near the Adiri region. Huygens's landing is so far the only one accomplished in the outer Solar System, and was also the first on a moon other than Earth's.
Huygens touched down on land, although the possibility that it would touch down in an ocean was also taken into account in its design. The probe was designed to gather data for a few hours in the atmosphere, and possibly a short time at the surface. It continued to send data for about 90 minutes after touchdown.