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Smokey
10-02-2005, 12:45 PM
For those that are interested, there is a show on the ABC tonight at 8:00pm called Catalyst. They take a behind the scenes look at NASA and the Cassini spacecraft journey to Saturn.
iceman
10-02-2005, 12:57 PM
Cool!
Is it a repeat of the one they had on a couple of months (like 6 months) ago? or is it new stuff I wonder..

Thanks for the info, I would've missed it.
Smokey
10-02-2005, 03:18 PM
Going by the TV guide it is a new one....
Says "Series return" and doesnt have the "R" for repeat next to it.
ving
10-02-2005, 03:44 PM
cool, have to watch it :)

I am sure to hear complains at home about it tho...
Mick
10-02-2005, 04:23 PM
Thanks I'll be watching.
silvinator
10-02-2005, 05:19 PM
can somebody tape it for me? hehe :D
i'm working back late again tonight :( can't watch it..."no tv and no cassini makes Silvie go something something..."
A nice summary of the program will do instead fellas, thanks :D
rumples riot
10-02-2005, 07:05 PM
Think I might watch that, could be of interest.
janoskiss
10-02-2005, 07:54 PM
It's definitely not a repeat. It includes stuff about the recent successful Titan mission. 2 part Catalyst story. Part 2 next week. Watch it watch it watch it!!!
Starkler
10-02-2005, 08:35 PM
Wow that was amazing !

Its absolutely mind boggling the precision needed to pull off such a feat to make it there safely when so many things could go wrong.
I'll certainly be watching next week :)
Rodstar
10-02-2005, 08:36 PM
Just finished watching.....was a repeat, but even better than I remember from last time. Next week is the new bit re Huygens probe to Titan. Must see tv!

Rodstar
janoskiss
10-02-2005, 08:44 PM
Yes the navigation through the gap in the rings is impressive. Also loved the statement by one of the guys on the team about being blown away when first seeing Saturn's rings through a telescope. He sounded like every newbie does, including myself, like how amazing to "see the rings, the shadow of the ring on the planet, etc". Could have done without some of the superfluous CGI sequencies and a little more science...
Starkler
10-02-2005, 09:03 PM
I was pretty impressed by the triple slingshot they had to pull off to gain the velocity to make it to Saturn. Twice past venus and once past earth as I recall. Its one thing to point and shoot, but to get that procedure right just seems an amazing feat.

I thought the content was quite good considering how dumbed down some of these type doco's can be.
silvinator
10-02-2005, 09:11 PM
Didn't get to watch (see above post) but sounds like it was something worthwhile watching. I hope to catch next week's episode but looks like I'll miss that too (someone get me outta here...)

Janos, I happen to like a lot of those CGI sequences in all the space doco's, gives you a feeling of what it might be like if you were aboard a spacecraft or a landing craft or just plain being there. I don't think they could come up with such sequences without a little bit of science though, but as I didn't get to see these particular "superfluous CGI sequences", then I'll just leave it at that :ashamed:
:D
Mombat
10-02-2005, 09:36 PM
Yeh i thought where they showed you th path Cassini took through the inner solar system was very interesting having never actually seen How a spaceship or probe actually slingshots past the planets.

I'm really looking forward to next week and seeing what their intepretaions of what huygens returned is!
janoskiss
10-02-2005, 09:40 PM
... go crazy?

Check out this link (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/cassini-essay/index-flash.html).

Yeah, if they convey information they have merit. Like when they illustrated the navigation through the rings. But others are clearly just fillers, make me think of the colourful Hubble pictures on K-mart telescope boxes. Also, they showed the same sequences several times. Must say in this case the real pictures were more impressive, esp. the close ups of the rings, than the ones "on the box". They're all there if you follow the above link to the NASA site.
silvinator
11-02-2005, 12:52 PM
"Don't mind if I do! [insert babbling here]"

Yeah I also hate it when they keep showing the same sequences over and over and over again. Thanks for the link janos, I'll check it out later when I have more time (still at work...feels like I never left :( ) Gee I really wish I had seen it.
ving
11-02-2005, 02:39 PM
managed to see it. bored everyone at home to tears with it :P
was some darn good viewing :)