Does anyone know how difficult it was for Huygens to get past the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter? I would think only something with an atmosphere could get through somewhat safely. And traveling at ludicris speeds could only lead to ludicris collisions.

Contrary to the popular conception, the asteroid belt is not that crowded. It would be a rare event for the probe to even come within visual distance of any body.

how difficult it was for Huygens to get past the asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is not how it appears in movies. You cannot see other asteroids from one asteroid. They are *Very* widely spaced apart.
only something with an atmosphere could get through somewhat safely
What?
ludicris speeds could only lead to ludicris collisions
Yes, If on the exceedingly small chance that you hit an asteroid. Like I said before, they are spaced widely apart.
http://www.worldsgreatestband.com/Images/asteroid.jpg
See any more asteroids? No. That small speck next to the main asteroid is a moon of the asteroid.

Understood, the thought crossed my mind after seeing this solar system and other 3d screensavers http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com

Communist Hamster: With that thought in mind, I thought Earth would be the only safe ship, since the resources are available to rebuild.

??! Rebuild what?!! It's a probe-spacecraft, not a generation ship!!

http://www.esa.int/images/huygens_1_anim_l.gif

Dimensions:

The Cassini spacecraft stands more than 6.7 metres high and is more than 4 metres wide. The magnetometer instrument is mounted on an 11-metre boom that extends outward from the spacecraft.

The orbiter alone weighs 2125 kilograms. Total mass of the Huygens probe is 349 kilograms, including payload (49 kilograms) and probe support equipment on the orbiter (30 kilograms).

The launch mass of Cassini-Huygens was 5.82 tonnes, of which 3.1 tonnes were propellant.

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is one of the largest, heaviest and most complex interplanetary spacecraft ever built. Of all interplanetary spacecraft, only the two Phobos spacecraft sent to Mars by the former Soviet Union were heavier.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM9D2HHZTD_0.html

Still dont understand what you meant by 'Something with an atmosphere'
Never mind though. This thread has forfilled it's purpose

Still dont understand what you meant by 'Something with an atmosphere'
Never mind though. This thread has forfilled it's purpose

maybe he thought that atmosphere would protect from smaller asteroids :bugeye:

It's worth noting that the craft also passed sucessfully through the rings of Saturn, by going through a gap between rings. Nevertheless, this was a risky manouver, arguably the riskiest of the mission. Object density, even in the gap, is much higher than in the asteroid belt.

maybe he thought that atmosphere would protect from smaller asteroids :bugeye:


That is what I thought.
Now I'm thinking how would a space vessel slow down or stop if it could travel at speeds that human eyes couldnt even process simultaneoulsy. Reversed after burners?

Interestingly, NASA thought the passage through the asteroid belt was significant enough to warrant its own press release.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast17apr_3.htm
...The belt contains a significant concentration of asteroids. Nonetheless, the area is not considered a hazard to spacecraft. Engineers did not make any adjustments to Cassini as it passed through the region, except the spacecraft's cosmic dust analyzer was reoriented whenever possible to better study the environment. A cover over Cassini's main engines has been in place at all times since launch except when main engine firings were performed. The cover protects the engines from any possible impacts.

"I'm glad we've passed through it, but it's pretty routine. There's a lot of material in the belt, but there's also an awful lot of space out there," said Cassini Project Manager Bob Mitchell at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.