Enceladus Data Back on Planet Earth!

Todd BarberTodd Barber, Cassini Lead Propulsion Engineer

Howdy, folks.  We’ve just heard from the Cassini mission control area and
can report that the data downlink has started!  The signal was received via
the Goldstone, California, Deep Space Network station at roughly 7:01 pm
PDT.  Our engineers are assessing the first post-flyby data as we speak,
but everything looks great at first blush.

The downlink data playback will run through the evening, and we hope to
have raw images hit the Cassini Web site before dawn, about 5 a.m. Pacific,
Thursday, March 13.  Check here for images:
 http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/index.cfm

Just click on the “latest images” icon…or you might select Enceladus from
the drop-down menu.

Yay!  Does this job rock or what?  Now let the flood of science commence!

Todd  

14 thoughts on “Enceladus Data Back on Planet Earth!”

  1. can’t wait to check it out in the morning,you all are awesome.Congrats from Wisconsin

  2. Many congratulations! A thousand thanks for keeping us up to date and for posting the images so quickly.

    It’s amazing to be able to ride along.

  3. Thats great news.. Congrats to the entire team.. assume you will let us know about the “health” of the spacecraft too. Raj Pillai – Bangalore India

  4. Thanks for the update. This is what I wanted to know. Was a bit scared
    given the close pass, and the nominal mission not complete. A toast to the scientists, the operations staff, and this incredible spacecraft.

    Now for the data!!!!! All of it!!!!

    Can hardly wait for results… the imaging will be there for all of us to see, but I realize the rest takes time, and review, for release. I hope we lay people will not have to wait too long.

    What will VIMS, CAPS, CIRS, INMS, UVS, RADAR, MAPS, the MAG team reveal? Will we sense an ocean gurgling, or ice grinding?

    Either way, what a wonder.

    Craig

  6. I’ve been waiting to head to work until I knew that it came through okay. Now I can begin my day. 🙂 Thank you! I can’t wait to see the first pictures. Keep up the great work!

  7. This is very cool! I never realized these blogs were here (Thank you to the guy making Outside In – the movie, on MySpace). We get up to date info from the inside?! Unbelievable. And then imagine my surprise when I see the picture of the blogger in a STEELERS shirt!

    HERE WE GO STEELERS! HERE WE GO!!

    We need to get a Terrible Towel up on Mars!

    -Ian Garrett (aka amwreck)
    Steel Reign Web Admin

  9. Many Congratulations !!
    Thanks for keeping us posted continually and making us a part of this special experience.
    Wishing you all more success…
    Best Regards
    Mahesh

  10. Cheers and congratulations from Berkeley!!

    Thanks for the movie-can’t wait to see the pictures.

    Best,

    Greg

  11. Excellent job! Congrats on making history yet again with this mission!

    Take your time and do the best you can with the data. We are patiently waiting for the new scientific insights to be unveiled.

    Maybe a silly question, but is there any expectation that biological material (or even bacteria) could be identified in this data set? If not, what would it take for a spacecraft to be able to capture and analyze material for complex biological structures?

    Keep up the excellent work! (Jesus from Buffalo, NY)

  12. Looking at the photo’s right now.
    What a wonderful little white-icy world it is !!

    It is like being back in the photo-film days when you had to bring your film to a store around the corner and wait for the photo’s to be developed..

    Did they show the atmosphere of your party
    your wonderful vacation

    were the photo’s as good as you hoped them to be..

    Well.. what I see now of this moon with the unspeakable name is breathtaking.

  13. Just think – it is now possible that alien microbes from Enceladus are now aboard Cassini. Or at the speed at which you brought them aboard, perhaps it’s more like they’re bug spats on a windshield….

    Congrats and keep up the great work!!!

  14. Todd,

    I am so sickeningly envious of you! I wish I hadn’t slept through so many classes in high school.

    Nice work. Keep it up. You are among a limited group of pioneers that will move humanity forward towards a greater understanding of all that surrounds us.

    Thank you,

    Todd Patten
    Somersworth, NH

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