An overview of the descent and landing of the Huygens probe on Titan

Jean-Pierre Lebreton (), Olivier Witasse, Claudio Sollazzo, Thierry Blancquaert, Patrice Couzin, Anne-Marie Schipper, Jeremy B. Jones, Dennis L. Matson, Leonid I. Gurvits, David H. Atkinson, Bobby Kazeminejad and Miguel Pérez-Ayúcar
Additional contact information
Jean-Pierre Lebreton: Research and Scientific Support Department
Olivier Witasse: Research and Scientific Support Department
Claudio Sollazzo: ESOC
Thierry Blancquaert: ESA Science Directorate, ESTEC
Patrice Couzin: Alcatel Alenia Space
Anne-Marie Schipper: Alcatel Alenia Space
Jeremy B. Jones: California Institute of Technology
Dennis L. Matson: California Institute of Technology
Leonid I. Gurvits: Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe
David H. Atkinson: University of Idaho
Bobby Kazeminejad: Austrian Academy of Sciences
Miguel Pérez-Ayúcar: Research and Scientific Support Department

Nature, 2005, vol. 438, issue 7069, 758-764

Abstract: Abstract Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the only Solar System planetary body other than Earth with a thick nitrogen atmosphere. The Voyager spacecraft confirmed that methane was the second-most abundant atmospheric constituent in Titan's atmosphere, and revealed a rich organic chemistry, but its cameras could not see through the thick organic haze. After a seven-year interplanetary journey on board the Cassini orbiter, the Huygens probe was released on 25 December 2004. It reached the upper layer of Titan's atmosphere on 14 January and landed softly after a parachute descent of almost 2.5 hours. Here we report an overview of the Huygens mission, which enabled studies of the atmosphere and surface, including in situ sampling of the organic chemistry, and revealed an Earth-like landscape. The probe descended over the boundary between a bright icy terrain eroded by fluvial activity—probably due to methane—and a darker area that looked like a river- or lake-bed. Post-landing images showed centimetre-sized surface details.

Date: 2005
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04347

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