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SAES Getters’ Ultra-high Vacuum Pumps Support the Successful Touchdown of the Huygens Probe on Titan
SAES’ non-evaporable getter pumps delivered an outstanding performance in ensuring control of the proper operating pressures of the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer instrument aboard the probe throughout its 7-year journey
Lainate (Milan), Italy and Colorado Springs, CO, USA – February 16, 2005
The SAES® Getters Group announced that the Huygens probe that last January 14 descended on Titan after a 7-year journey into the space to explore the atmosphere and surface of Saturn’s largest known moon exploited SAES’ non-evaporable getter technology.
Worldwide market leader in getter components for cathode ray tubes and vacuum tubes, SAES Getters is a key-player in the manufacturing and marketing of advanced solutions for vacuum-maintenance and gas contamination control in a wide range of diversified industrial applications.
The sophisticated and powerful gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (GCMS), developed by the Atmospheric Experiment Branch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center outside of Washington, D.C., was one of the six instruments on the probe and was used to analyze the chemical composition of Titan’s atmosphere from 170 km altitude to the surface, to determine the isotope ratios of the major gaseous constituents and to investigate the composition of several candidate surface materials.
One of the core components of the GCMS instrument, the vacuum pump system had the essential function to maintain the proper operating pressures in the mass spectrometer while atmospheric gas samples or gases eluting from the gas chromatograph were introduced into the ionization regions of the ion sources. Huygens’ GCMS vacuum pump system used a getter pump solution specifically developed by SAES Getters USA Inc. for this mission, resulting from the customization of SAES’ patented St 175 getter material. SAES non-evaporable getter pumps are chemical pumps that exploit chemical reactions to absorb harmful gases from the vacuum chamber. The getter pumps aboard the probe ran continuously throughout the space voyage.
“The main benefit of the vacuum pumps we developed for this space mission is that they can be activated before launch, fly for 7 years and for more than a billion kilometers while maintaining the vacuum in the instrument, and work perfectly pumping samples during the descent and landing on Titan, without any further maintenance”, commented Richard Kullberg, Application Development Manager at SAES Getters USA Inc. “This total reliability is greatly dependent upon St 175’s chemical pumping feature, which requires no moving parts, as well as on its physical robustness. In addition, this technology had the key advantage that it did not drain any precious battery power during the two and one-half hour descent of the probe to the surface of Titan, with power supply of course always being a very critical issue in space missions”, added Mr. Kullberg.
The SAES Getters Group is not new to technological projects for space missions. In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft that reached Jupiter after a decade-long journey carried a neutral mass spectrometer mounting a getter solution for hydrogen pumping, purposely developed by SAES still in co-operation with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“The Huygens GCMS employed 8 separate getter assemblies that performed a variety of critically important functions throughout the mission” commented Dan Harpold, member of the GCMS team at the NASA Goddard Flight Space Center. “All getter assemblies performed exceedingly well throughout the 2 ½ hour descent through Titan’s atmosphere and, upon the probe’s landing on the surface, performed equally well during the more than 1 hour of operating time on the surface” added Mr. Harpold.
“We are very proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to the Cassini-Huygens mission, one of the most challenging and ambitious interplanetary explorations ever”, declared Massimo della Porta, Group CEO and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of the SAES Getters Group. “This successful project represents a milestone for us, since it testifies to our continuous and unfaltering commitment to technological innovation, as well as to our capability of teaming up with customers to understand their product requirements and support the development of their most advanced technologies”, concluded Mr. della Porta.
About the SAES Getters Group
Pioneering the development of the getter technology, the SAES Getters Group is the world leader in a variety of scientific and industrial applications where stringent vacuum conditions or ultra-high pure gases are required. For the last 60 years, its getter solutions have been supporting technological innovation in the information display and lamp industries, in ultra-high vacuum systems, in a wide range of electron device-based applications, and in the vacuum thermal insulation.
The Group also holds a leading position in ultra pure gas handling for the semiconductor and other hi-tech markets.
Starting year 2004, by leveraging the core competencies in special metallurgy and material science, the SAES Getters Group has expanded its business in the advanced material niche markets, with the introduction of: the optical crystal product line, for optoelectronic and solid-state laser applications; the shape memory alloys, for components primarily used in the automotive, transportation and electronic appliance industries; and the metalorganic material product line for chemical vapor deposition.
A total production capacity distributed at 8 manufacturing plants spanning across 3 continents, a worldwide-based sales & service network, nearly 1,000 employees allow the Group to combine multicultural skills and expertise to form a truly global enterprise.
SAES Getters is headquartered near Milan (Italy) and has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange Market, STAR segment, since 1986.
SAES Getters Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements which are based upon current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the Company. These factors include the Company’s ability to introduce new products at planned costs and on planned schedules, the Company’s ability to maintain key client relationships and the environments of the various economies in the countries the Company conducts business. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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PR contacts:
SAES Getters Group
Marina Perino
Group Marcom Manager
Ph. +39 02 93178267
Fax: +39 02 93178320
e-mail: Marina Perino |
SAES Getters U.S.A., Inc.
Mabel Chan
Marcom Specialist
Ph. +1 719 576 3200
Fax: +1 719 576 5025
e-mail: Mabel Chan |
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