Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) Cassini Orbiter Instrument records
Pamphlets, bookmark, article and fact sheet related to the Cassini, VIMS and CRAF missions, circa 1990 (Box 1 Folder 9)
Collection area: History of Science
Collection dates: 1990 to 2007
Collection includes original proposal to NASA in 1990 and carefully selected correspondence and project files found in Box 1 Folders 1-8. Extensive project management document and reports, including many calibration reports and procedures. Many presentations from a Science Team Meeting held in Tucson in February, 2003. Folders organized chronologically, but folder contents not arranged.
The Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) collected both light that is visible to humans and infrared light of slightly longer wavelengths. It separated the light into its various wavelengths so scientists could learn about the composition of materials from which the light is reflected or emitted. Scientists used VIMS to determine the content and temperatures of atmospheres, rings and surfaces in the Saturn system. The instrument analyzed light but scientists also created images from its data, similar to a visible-light camera. The Primary Investigator for VIMS is Bob Brown of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona.
VIMS is an instrument on the Cassini-Huygens Space-Research Mission which, for nearly 20 years shared the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moons—taking us to astounding worlds where methane rivers run to a methane sea and where jets of ice and gas are blasting material into space from a liquid water ocean that might harbor the ingredients for life. Cassini was a joint endeavor of NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency) and the Italian space agency (ASI).
A collection guide explains what's in a collection. New to using our collections? Learn how to use a collection guide.
Collection guideAccess this collection
Visit us in person to access materials from this collection. Our materials are one-of-a-kind and require special care, so they can’t be checked out or taken home.
How to cite
Learn how to cite and use materials from Special Collections in your research.