Aster › Space program › Hyperion
Hyperion
Position on the route: 54/130 · level needed 135 · journey (Mk0 engine) 24.6 h
By the numbers
| Size | ≈ 360 × 266 × 205 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 21.3 days |
| Distance | 1,481,100 km |
| Density | 0.54 g/cm³ |
The story
Hyperion, found in 1848, is Saturn’s spongy moon: density only 0.54 g/cm³ and about 40 % empty space. The craters swallow impacts and the surface looks like a honeycomb. Titan’s gravity makes it tumble chaotically: its spin axis and speed cannot be predicted.
Cassini passed within 500 km in 2005. The porous structure suggests a remnant of a larger body, or a captured one.
Missions
- Voyager 2 (1981)
- Cassini (2005): a close flyby
Colony note
Dangerous: the surface keeps tumbling. A mining station only.
What probes bring back
- Spongy and very porous (40 %): the craters swallow impacts. Density 0.54 g/cm³.
- It tumbles chaotically; found in 1848.