Europe's main contribution to the Cassini mission, the Huygens probe, was built for ESA by an industrial team led by Alcatel Space. This 320 kg spacecraft is carrying six science instruments to study the atmosphere during its descent. Laboratories and research centres from all ESA member countries, the United States, Poland and Israel have been involved in developing this science payload. The Huygens atmospheric structure instrument package (HASI) will measure temperature and pressure profiles, and characterise winds and turbulences. It will also be able to detect lightning and even to measure the conductivity and permittivity of the surface if the probe survives the impact. The gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) will provide fine chemical analysis of the atmosphere and the aerosols collected by the aerosol collector and pyrolyser (ACP). The descent imager/spectral radiometer (DISR) will collect images, spectra and other data on the atmosphere, the radiation budget, cloud structures, aerosols and the surface. The doppler wind experiment (DWE) will provide a zonal wind profile while the surface science package (SSP) will characterise the landing site if Huygens survives the impact.

'"/>

Contact: Franco Bonacina
33-1-5369-7155
European Space Agency
25-Dec-2004