RHEA, THE GIOVANNI MISSION, AND YOU.

A presentation by Jared Stachiw PhD, MPhil and Devon Burmeister P.Eng., BA

Mission Overview

To study the composition of Rhea’s geology via subsurface drilling.

Formation of celestial bodies Search for liquid water Understanding the composition of both mineral and

watery-ice based planetary bodies

Mission Overview Approx. 8-10 yrs Data Collected

Photographs (Aerial, and Surface)

Composition of Rhea’s icy/terrestrial surface and subsurface.

Travel 3.5 billion kilometers Approx. 7 yrs Due to weight uses many

`gravity assists` Launch Window - October Earth – Venus – Earth –

Venus – Earth – Jupiter – Rhea

Mission Overview Total cost - $3.3

billion

DevelopmentGiovanni is a sister

spacecraft to Cassini spacecraft

BD – 247 yet to be constructed

5-8 yrs

Planetary Composition Diameter of 1529 km, equatorial circumference of 4,802.2 km,

and a mass of 2.3071x1021 kg (For perspective Earth is 5.98x1024 kg) Second Largest Moon

Orbital Period of ~ 4.5 Earth Days No Atmosphere Surface temperature between -174 to -220 degrees Celsius Heavily cratered and scared with “Wispy Lines” – fractures

forming canyons Icy/Terrestrial surface composition

¾ Ice ¼ Rock “Frozen Dirty Snowball”

Tidal Locked

Cassini Mission Goals

Measure the Magnetosphere of Saturn

Study the composition of Saturn`s atmosphere

Determine the origin of Saturn's rings and the composition/geological history of the satellites around Saturn.

Signs of potential microbiological life on Titan

Primary mission (Equinox) – 4 yrs

Extended primary mission - 2 yrs

New mission (Solstice) – 7 yrs

1997 (launch) – 2017 (expected termination)

SpacecraftGiovanni’s Design Modeled after the Cassini spacecraft, but with a different probe

- the “BD – 247” Launch vehicle TITAN IVB . Giovanni’s Dimensions

Height- 6.7 M. Diameter- 4 M. Mass- 12,593 lbs

Giovanni’s Instruments Magnetometer, Cosmic Dust Analyzer, Cameras, Thrusters (powered by

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators – RTGs), onboard computers (for analyzing data), and a High and Low Gain antenna (for two way communication)

BD – 247 Drill (encapsulated in protective shell during flight) Simultaneously drills into planets crust, collects samples, and analyzes

the samples to determine the composition of different layers of Rhea Data is transmitted back to Earth via a relay between BD – 247 and

Giovanni

Support the Giovanni Mission

To study the composition of Rhea’s geology via subsurface drilling.

Formation of celestial bodies Search for liquid water Understanding the composition of both mineral and

watery-ice based planetary bodies in one place