From: TerryMoselaol.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:47:28 EST
Subject: Saving Huygens, IAA meeting, New Lecture

Hi all,

1. Now that it seems that Huygens & Cassini are both highly successful, we 
can reflect on just how close the Huygens mission was to being a total failure! 
Woodworkers have a simple dictum: "measure twice, cut once" (- rather than the 
other way round). If that philosophy was always applied to every component, 
and every aspect, and every procedure, of a space mission, there wouldn't be so 
many failures!

This link (thanks to Catherine Ansbro) tells the story of one such failure, 
and how one man's persistence rescued Huygens from disaster even after it was 
on its way to Saturn!  
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/oct04/1004titan.html

2. The next IAA meeting will be on TUESDAY 25 January (NOT the usual 
Wednesday), when ESA astronaut Andre Kuiper, recently returned from the ISS, will give 
a special talk. 7.30 p.m., Lecture theatre 5, Stranmillis College, Belfast. 
Not to be missed! Free admission, as always!

3. ADDITIONAL IAA MEETING: Thanks to Robert Hill & Armagh Planetarium, we 
will be having an EXTRA meeting on THURSDAY 25 February, celebrating the 15th 
anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. A special guest will present 
spectacular images showing highlights from Hubble, including some of the very latest 
amazing images. Lecture theatre 5, Stranmillis College, Belfast. Another event 
not to be missed! Free admission, as always, even for this!

And don't forget the Kids/Family/astro-imaging event tomorrow (Saturday), St 
Patrick's High School, Ballinderry Road, Lisburn, starting at 09.45.

Clear Skies,

Terry Moseley

Last Revised: 2005 January 17th WWW contact:webmaster@arm.ac.uk

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