Problem 6. (extra credit) Cassini mission grand finale. On September 15, 2017 th
ID: 3279646 • Letter: P
Question
Problem 6. (extra credit) Cassini mission grand finale. On September 15, 2017 the Cassini spacecraft will descend into Saturn's atmosphere as the final act of its 20-year mission. In this problem you will study the communication delays between the spacecraft and the ground control on Earth Because of the finite speed of electromagnetic waves (i.e. the speed of light), it takes finite time for any information from the Earth to reach the spaceraft, and vice-versa. What is the minimal travel time for the signal between Saturn's orbit and the Earth? What is the marimal travel time (assuming the signal was sent straight to the Earth)? Sketch the geometries of those situations. In this problem you can neglect the electromagnetic interference of the Sun ie. you can assume the signal can be sent between two planets even if the Sun is right between them). You can also assume that the planetary orbits are circularExplanation / Answer
Traveling at the speed of light, radio signals from Cassini will take one hour and 24 minutes to reach Earth when Cassini arrives at Saturn. As Saturn and Earth move in their orbits around the Sun during the course of Cassini's four-year tour, the distance between the two planets will vary and the "one way light time" will change accordingly.
Below is a chart for different planets,
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