The Processing of Altimetric Data (PAD) System for Cassini RADAR
Alberti, G ; Catallo, C ; Festa, L ; ...Flamini, Enrico ; et al.
Jan - 2007

journal : Memorie della Società Astronomica Italiana Supplement

Volume : 11 ; Issue : 68
type: Article Journal

Abstract
This paper describes the Cassini RADAR PAD System, which has been designed and developed in the frame of Cassini-Huygens, a joint NASA/ESA/ASI mission to Saturn and its moons, responding to ASI request to process the data collected by the Cassini RADAR Altimeter. The PAD System contains the HW and SW operational tools necessary to evaluate the instrument performances, to process the raw data, and finally to visualize digital maps of Titan's surface by using the data acquired by the Cassini RADAR during close flybys of Titan. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite in the solar system to host an appreciable atmosphere. The smoggy haze that completely envelops the satellite is composed mostly of nitrogen, aerosols and a variety of hydrocarbons, produced as atmospheric methane is destroyed by sunlight. To date, many scientists have speculated that the surface could probably contain solid, liquid and muddy material creating features such as lakes, seas, or rivers, and it should be mostly coated with sticky brown organic condensate rained down from the atmosphere. The PAD System, actually installed and operated at Alcatel Alenia Space Italia premises in Rome will be able to grant the provision of altimetric data for at least the nominal 4-years mission lifetime (i.e. 45 envisaged flybys of Titan).

keywords : astronomical data bases,individual,miscellaneous,planets and satellites,radar astronomy,techniques,titan