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Any one watched "Destination Titan" on BBC?


E621Keith

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Very interesting show about the story of the Huygens probe. I didn't know UK had such a large contribution. It's amazing to learn the surface instruments wasn't developed and built by a team of highly qualified scientist in white coat, but a few nerdy students using some rather crude equipments. I love the look of that prototype penetrometer, looks like something you can build in a shed. I also wonder how they got past health and safety with that liquid methane test on the roof.

Watching this show gives me a much needed morale boost for my own research.:)

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I watched it last night on iPlayer. Very interesting documentary and like you, Keith, I loved how it was geeky students that worked and created the surface package.

It was cool being able to see behind the scenes of the probe because I remember watching the landing on the tv live years ago. Really cool :)

Paul''

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Very good programme ...

I also wonder how they got past health and safety with that liquid methane test on the roof.

Easy - rickety ladder up to the roof, the inspector won't go up there so you can do what the heck you like :)

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Yeah I watched it, very interesting to see the story of the UK team behind the science package on Hugens. I 'followed' Cassini-Huygens from launch and was very excited on the day it reached Titan, but I didn't know anything about all the UK team's involvement with the lander!

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Excellent programme - even inspired the in-laws to want a view of Titan through my scope.

What struck me is the dedication of research teams like them, devoting the best part of their lives to a project that could've got cancelled at the snap of someone's finger or fail because of a myriad of technical reasons. But they succeeded and some - it must have been quite a moment when they saw all their hard work come to fruition.

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Yes, I watched it too. I remember watching the 1990 S@N when PM interviewed John Zarnecki and thinking 'wow, wouldn't that be cool to get to Titan!'

It's great to look back on an event like this, and I think the programme was put together really well. The tension in the control room must have been terrifying in those 6 minutes or so between when they thought the data would be received, and when it was actually received.

Huygens was an awesome probe. I'll never forget the creme brulee moment :)

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Another pleased viewer here... It was interesting to watch the evolution of the project, the many hours of hard work behind the scenes, and to see the faces and personalities behind the names of those involved.

I remember seeing a programme back in the 90's about building and testing the impactor probe, though I don't remember which programme it was...

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We do have some superb young scientists in the UK, they need more space engineering projects to work on, but I'm not sure the near future will provide much employment in those fields, and that is a great shame.

I hope Obama's run for a second term contains some promises of space ventures to provide opportunities for them.

Ron.

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agree it was a good watch, what a brilliant thing that we can do such science and engineering, our reward as joe public is getting to see the wonderful images that Cassini has shown over the past few years :)

as for the Huygens.... outstanding achievment had not realized John Zarneki and his team were so involved with it :p

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I really enjoyed the 'human' aspect of it; showing the real people who invested so much of themselves in the project and I was chuffed that it all worked out perfectly for them.

When we're so good at bad mouthing everything in the UK it's heartening to see that we can come good now and then.

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