Researchers at NASA Ames have recently completed testing of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC), for Shuttle Return-to-Flight (RTF). In addition, radiation testing has been done in support of Huygens, with new equipment.

Cassini/Huygens is a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) that is currently exploring Saturn and its largest moon Titan http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The spacecraft was launched October 15, 1997 by NASA from Cape Canaveral, and reached Saturn orbit in July 2004. The spacecraft consists of two separate vehicles: the NASA-built Cassini orbiter and the ESA-built Huygens probe.

The Huygens probe was built to explore Titan, the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere. Huygens is scheduled to be released from Cassini on December 24th, and will enter Titan's atmosphere on January 14, 2005. During the descent Huygens will make measurements of the atmospheric gases, and will take pictures of the surface of Titan. The probe will also explore the surface after it lands, and it is designed to float in case it lands in a lake or sea. This is the first time any man-made object has entered the atmosphere of Titan, and nobody is really sure what it will find. Titan is a very interesting moon, because the thick atmosphere is similar to that which may have existed around the Earth billions of years ago, before life began. There are many organic compounds in Titan's atmosphere, including methane and other hydrocarbons. In fact, some scientists believe that there are lakes of methane or propane on the surface of the moon.

Although the Huygens probe was designed and built by the European Space Agency, Ames Research Center recently helped ESA to ensure that the probe's heatshield would survive the heat generated during entry.