I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to find how big Cassini's delta-v budget was, either total or reserved for maneuvering around Saturn.
Oh, hey, there it is: total delta-v of 2.4km/s. That's not much at all!
fuck yeah gravity assists.
I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to find how big Cassini's delta-v budget was, either total or reserved for maneuvering around Saturn.
Oh, hey, there it is: total delta-v of 2.4km/s. That's not much at all!
fuck yeah gravity assists.
"Cassini’s total propellant at launch was enough to alter the spacecraft’s velocity by only about 5,400 miles per hour (2,400 meters per second), half of which was gone by the time the spacecraft reached Saturn. However, a single flyby of Titan at an altitude of 620 miles (about 1,000 kilometers) gives Cassini a change in velocity of about 1,800 miles per hour (800 meters per second) — this is equivalent to one-third of Cassini’s total propellant at launch."