The Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI)

The Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument
(HASI)
Project Manager: prof. Francesco Angrilli, CISAS “G. Colombo”, Univ. Padova, Italy.
Principal Investigator: prof. Marcello Fulchignoni, Univ. Paris VII / LESIA, Obs. Paris, France
HASI Project Management Office: at CISAS “G. Colombo”, University of Padova, Italy
Mission Description: In the framework of the NASA/ASI/ESA Cassini-Huygens mission
towards the Saturnian system, HASI is one of the six experiments onboard the Huygens probe.
HASI is a multisensor package designed to measure the physical quantities characterizing
Titan’s atmosphere during the entry and descent of the Huygens probe and investigating the
surface of the biggest moon of Saturn.
HASI Scientific objectives
• Determine the atmospheric
temperature profiles.
pressure
and
• Evaluate the density and molecular weight
profiles.
• Determine the atmospheric electric conductivity
and charge carrier profiles.
• Investigate ionisation processes.
• Survey wave electric fields and atmospheric
lightning; analysis of quasi-static electric fields
leading to storm formation.
• Detect acoustic noise due to turbulence or
thunder storms.
• Characterize the roughness, mechanical and
electrical properties of the surface material
whatever its phase, solid or liquid.
Instrument
Description:
HASI
is
composed of 4 subsystems: the triaxial
accelerometer (ACC), the deployable boom
system (DBS), the stem (STUB) carrying
the temperature sensors, a Kiel probe
pressure inlet, an acoustic sensor and the
data processing unit (DPU).
The scientific measurements are performed
by
four
sensor
packages:
the
accelerometers (ACC), the temperature
sensors (TEM), the Pressure Profile
Instrument (PPI) and the Permittivity
Wave and Altimeter package (PWA).
http://cisas.unipd.it/hasi/welcome.html
The HASI team at CISAS has been responsible
for the design and qualification of the STUB
subsystem and the TEM sensors (Platinum
thermometers of new concept).
It has been responsible for the Assembly,
Integration, and Verification campaign at
instrument and system level including
inflight cruise checkouts every 6 months.
CISAS hosts the HASI Project Management
Office, responsible for the HASI team
coordination.
HASI PI and CoI's
Principal Investigator:
M. Fulchignoni
Co-Investigators:
F. Angrilli
G. Bianchini
F. Ferri
A. Bar-Nun
M.A. Barucci
A. Coustenis
W. Borucki
C. McKay
M. Coradini
P. Falkner
R. Grard
H. Svedhem
E. Flamini
M. Hamelin
A.M. Harri
G.W. Leppelmeier
J.J. Lopez-Moreno
R. Rodrigo
J.A.M. McDonnell
J.C. Zarnecki
F.H. Neubauer
A. Pedersen
G. Picardi
V. Pirronello
K. Schwingenschuh
Université de Paris VII / LESIA Obs. Paris-Meudon, France
C.I.S.A.S. "G. Colombo", University of Padova (UPD) Italy
Dept. Geophys. & Planetary Sciences, Univ. Tel Aviv, Israel
LESIA Obs. Paris-Meudon, France
NASA/AMES, Moffet Field CA 94035, USA
ESA Headquarter, Science Directorate, Paris, France
ESTEC, (RSSD), Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Roma, Italy
CETP, St. Maur, France
Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (IAA), Granada, Spain
PSSRI, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
University of Cologne (UKK ), Koeln, Germany
University of Oslo, Norway
University "La Sapienza" Roma, Italy
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Italy
Space Research Institute, (IWF), Graz, Austria
http://cisas.unipd.it/hasi/welcome.html