* Unsure of how to handle your spaceship in rough weather? Get hints from the sequence below.
Just when you were about to give up on that new X-Wing planetcruiser of yours (why does rocket fuel cost so much these days?), a few tips on handling your spacecraft into a soft landing on alien planets from the pros over at NASA and the European Space Agency.
The animation sequence below has been reconstructed from imagery and data taken from the Huyghens space probe, that landed earlier this year on one of Saturn's most enigmatic planets, Titan, with an atmosphere (apparently) resembling Planet Earth. On the left-hand side of the screen you can see your progress down to the planet surface as an altitude graph, and have a look at how out of control your spaceprobe really is by checking out the number of rotations on the top-left hand side diagram, or watch the numbers on the bottom right-hand dial. The various sounds you'll hear on the way down are chimes for the numerous cameras or other devices taking pictures of the surface at various resolutions. The top right-hand side number "Altitude" gives you an idea of altitude before landing.
The sequence is about 11MB so may take a little time to download, so be patient - it's worth it, believe me. Like nothing you've ever seen.
PS. For the less technical-minded, there is a travel agency-like narration video complete with Beethoven piano concerto in the background, that gently talks you through the pros and cons of a landing on Titan, as you plan on where to head on your next winter vacation. The video is 15MB, but is definitely worth the wait with some breathtaking panoramic imagery of the mountain ridges near the landing site, as seen by the probe. Would sure thrill folks back home when you get back! Check it out here.
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