XPost: sci.astro.amateur   
   From: glenn.mulno@mathworks.com   
      
   "richard schumacher"  wrote in message news:no-spam-   
   > >   
   > > I am a bit puzzled why they only made the probe last the few short   
   > > hours after it detached from cassini. They could of built a better   
   > > battery when Voyager I is like 28 year and still going. I know it is   
   > > like -300F and mechanical things won't operate long in that harsh   
   > > environment. Assuming the probe could survive the environment it would   
   > > of been nice to be able to tap it for everything possible.   
   >   
   >   
   > The issue is how long the orbiter is in range to relay data from Huygens   
   > to Earth.  It's only a few hours, so a longer-life battery for Huygens   
   > would have been pointless.   
      
   If that were the "only" reason then I would disagree.  Cassini will be   
   passing by Titan again in a few weeks.  I would think they could have held   
   data and then blasted it at the satellite each time it passed.   
      
   However, as I understand it that is not really why they kept the life to   
   only a few hours.  I think it had more to do with just getting it down   
   safely, the weight of the probe on Cassini, cost, and probably just the   
   general expectation that  conditions were not favorable to the life of the   
   unit being long.   
      
   Glenn   
      
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