Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 05:06:54 -0700
From: Peter Geschke <peterg7@home.com>
To: Pinhole Listserv <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Cassini
> Sounds too risky to me. Why not solar?
Can't use solar effectively when the probe is that far away from the
sun, because the cells get only 1/100 of the radiation from the sun that
they would near Earth.
I did see a ten minute debate on TV last weekend....the opposition did
bring up a good point that if we were to wait approx. 3 years we
wouldn't have to use the "slingshot" method to get to Saturn. That
seems to be the danger as the Cassini probe will reenter part of the
Earth's upper atmosphere on its way out to Saturn and possibly burn up
the spacecraft. The supporter said that calculations have been made
that even if all 72 pounds of Pu does get released, the radiation dose
from that event would be less than the normal background radiation we
get in one day.
Lastly, I seem to remember Paul talking about this at the Summer
Institute - perhaps some words of wisdom are in order?
Peter Geschke
Mission San Jose High School
Fremont