The main objectives of the Cassini mission are to deliver a spacecraft into orbit about Saturn and a Probe into the atmosphere of Titan. Two fundamental constraints drive the design of the initial Saturn orbit and thus affect the mission performance. The first requirement is safe passage through the ring system upon Saturn arrival; the second is delivery of the Probe to Titan with an acceptable relative approach velocity. These constraints lead to the selection of a dual-burn insertion strategy, with maneuvers at periapsis and apoapsis of the initial orbit. Additional science goals constrain the Saturn arrival date and may affect the timing of the orbit insertion burn.
Saturn orbit insertion options for the Cassini mission
AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference 1989 ; 1989 ; Stowe, VT, United States
1990-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Saturn orbit insertion mission plan for Cassini
NTRS | 1990
|Saturn orbit insertion mission plan for Cassini
AIAA | 1990
|SPIE | 1996
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