Titan Touchdown

On Jan. 14, 2005, ESA's Huygens probe made its descent to the surface of Saturn's hazy moon, Titan. Carried to Saturn by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, Huygens made the most distant landing ever on another world, and the only landing on a body in the outer solar system. This video uses actual images taken by the probe during its two-and-a-half hour fall under its parachutes.

Huygens was a signature achievement of the international Cassini-Huygens mission, which will conclude on Sept. 15, 2017, when Cassini plunges into Saturn's atmosphere.

[biggerlicious]

the music sounds like a kickstarter pitch video
"Hey guys, didn't see you there. This is my titan landing project, and it needs your help"

[tom_something]

I hope that tens of thousands of years from now, when all traces of former life on Earth are invisible from space, a space agency from another planet will send a craft to descend on our devastated fossil of a planet and post it to their YouTube equivalent, and I hope they use the exact same music.

[jamiecockburn]

One of the most astonishing feats in human history, really. Wild how it doesn’t get more recognition.

[jmhyankee]

My dad worked on the Cassini mission for a good portion of my childhood. This video makes me happy. What a beautiful place. I'm glad that we have been able to get so many years of awesome science and gorgeous photos/videos from the mission.

[CptnJCFG]

Wish we had the same footage but from Europa :)

[bboi]

I feel like NASA doesn't stress NEARLY enough that this is an animation based off of the probes readings and a few photos made 12 years after the real thing. That's why it looks so CGI. If you want the real thing you'll have to look deeper, but the best you'll get is the grounding itself.

[SixFootTurkey_]

Titan is so fascinating. When I heard about this I was stunned.

[_tyrannus]

One of the amazing things about this landing is the sheer slowness of its descent, as shown by the ridiculous speeds on final approach. One could literally hop off of it before touchdown! I wish we do visit this moon back in the future, it really is one of the most fascinating places of our solar system. :)

[wHw_Syxx]

A shame Christiaan Huygens can't see what the surface of Titan looks like after he discovered it in 1655. He'd be just as, if not more astonished than we were first seeing this.

[get_emld]

If we can live on titan, we can attack on titan

[DickTrickleqt]

Wow this is the first Titan Touchdown I've seen on Youtube. Usually the opposing team is the one scoring.

[IstasPumaNevada]

Man, friggin' congratulations again ESA, this was a really wonderful mission.

[jamiegodman]

Amazing stuff. We should be sending probes to every moon and planet in our solar system on a regular basis. Even if they're just cube sats. Keep up the good work JPL!

[botzev]

Impressive, most impressive. Great achievement for NASA and JPL. After ESA landed on comet here is this great landing. Congrats to all, who participate in this project!

[FirstNameLastName-gumu]

If you are a flat earther, you already lost the arguement. So don't even try unless you got a picture of flat earth from space.

[florianwolf]

A huge success for planetary exploration - never before seen details and tons of data to analyse. Heartfelt congratulations to the team - you must be thrilled !

[kixphantom]

Speaking as a space probe enthusiast I think the huygens probe mission is one of the greatest space accomplishments this century.

[sajukkhar]

My fate in humanity restored, for a little while.

[nathanbronstein]

The atmosphere on Titan is so thick the video almost looks like SGI, it’s such a fascinating moon.

[snezanadimovic]

That looks incredible thanks nasa team for this beautiful shot!