SST Mission to Study Saturn

SST Overview

SST, short for Saturn's Smallest Traveler, is a small spacecraft designed to conduct scientific experiments on Saturn. It was launched from Earth aboard NASA's Cassini orbiter, which carries several other smaller craft. Launched on October 15, 2002, SST has since been orbiting around Saturn with its sister probes called Minisca, ISS, DSNISSA, and LANISSE. There is also speculation online regarding another possible probe named Tiny Titan, although this remains unconfirmed.

The primary goal of SST and its sibling probes is to study Saturn's moons, rings, and magnetosphere. They have been conducting observations using various instruments such as cameras, spectrometers, radio receivers, and radio transmitters. These tools help them gather data on dust particles flying by, ice particles streaming out into space, and the magnetic field of the planet. By analyzing this information, scientists can better understand how Saturn functions as well as learn more about the origins of our solar system.

One key aspect of their mission involves making measurements using passive acoustic techniques. This means they listen for sounds generated within the solar system without actively producing any sound themselves. By listening closely to these natural frequencies, scientists hope to gain insights into various aspects of Saturn's environment, including its atmosphere and ionosphere.

In addition to their main purpose of scientific exploration, these tiny travelers have been tasked with radiating heat back towards the sun when they approach Saturn's closest planetary neighbor, Venus. As they pass through the hotter regions of the inner solar system after leaving Jupiter behind, they will reflect sunlight back toward the sun rather than absorbing it directly. This clever design helps protect them from becoming too warm while still allowing them to maintain power generation capabilities.