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Reference:PASADENA, Calif. -- A probe once attached to the international Cassini spacecraft was on its own Saturday for the first time, headed on a slow, tumbling course into the hazy atmosphere of Saturn's planet-size moon Titan.
The European Space Agency's Huygens probe carried instruments that may reveal more about the moon's chemistry and whether Titan actually has lakes or seas of liquid methane and ethane that have been theorized by scientists.
Cassini used springs to gently push the 705-pound probe away late Friday at a rate of one foot per second, sending it on a three-week free-fall toward Titan.
Cassini will make a course change next week to avoid following the probe into the moon's atmosphere.
Titan is the only moon in the solar system known to have a significant atmosphere. Rich with nitrogen and containing about 6 percent methane, the atmosphere is 1 1/2 times thicker than Earth's.
The Cassini Probe is a spacecraft sent by NASA to explore Saturn and its moons, including Titan. The probe is equipped with instruments and cameras to gather data and images of Titan, providing scientists with a better understanding of this mysterious moon and its potential for hosting life.
The Cassini Probe was launched in 1997 and reached Saturn's orbit in 2004. It then took an additional 2 years for the probe to make its first close flyby of Titan in 2006. The probe has been studying Titan ever since, making multiple flybys and providing valuable data and images.
The Cassini Probe has revealed many fascinating discoveries about Titan, including its dense atmosphere, lakes of liquid methane and ethane on its surface, and possible cryovolcanoes. The probe has also provided evidence for a subsurface ocean of liquid water and organic compounds, making Titan a strong candidate for hosting microbial life.
The Cassini Probe is equipped with a variety of instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and radar, which allow it to gather data and images of Titan. The probe's instruments can measure the moon's atmospheric composition, temperature, and surface features, providing scientists with a wealth of information about Titan's environment.
Although the Cassini Probe's mission ended in 2017, there are plans for future missions to Titan. In 2026, NASA's Dragonfly mission will send a rotorcraft to explore Titan's surface, and the European Space Agency is developing a mission to send a probe to land on the surface of Titan and explore its subsurface ocean. These missions will continue to expand our knowledge and understanding of this fascinating moon.