XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.astro   
   From: george@briar.demon.co.uk   
      
   "dexx"  wrote in message   
   news:1105885111.638247.89710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...   
   > Is it true that Huygens ceased transmission less than 2 hours after   
   > touchdown? Whilst it was a magnificent achievement to travel so far and   
   > land perfectly, it seems a great shame that the probe was so short   
   > lived.  I'm suprised the designers didnt make it rugged enough and   
   > powered enough to survive several days.   
      
   Cassini will not return to Titan for about a month   
   as it is in orbit round Saturn, not the moon. With   
   a given mass budget, you have to trade off more   
   batteries against losing an instrument. The optimum   
   design was probably to last as long as Cassini would   
   be above the horizon plus a little bit spare.   
      
   George   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)