Aster › Space program › Mimas
Mimas
Position on the route: 41/130 · level needed 118 · journey (Mk0 engine) 24.6 h
By the numbers
| Diameter | 396 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 22.6 hours |
| Distance | 185,540 km |
| Herschel | 130-km crater |
The story
Mimas is the large moon closest to Saturn’s rings. The 130-km Herschel crater on its surface made people compare it to a battle station that fights stars. The impact was so violent it nearly broke Mimas apart. Density 1.15 g/cm³: mostly water ice.
Cassini’s libration measurements and orbit calculations gave a surprising answer in 2024: a young ocean 20–30 km under the surface, formed perhaps 5–15 million years ago, with no trace at the top. In the game, the easiest ice stop in the Saturn system.
Missions
- Voyager 1 and 2 (1980–81)
- Cassini (2004–2017): close flybys and the libration measurement
Colony note
Weak gravity, a great deal of ice. A station for water and hydrogen right beside Saturn’s rings.
What probes bring back
- The 130-km Herschel crater makes it look like the ‘Death Star’; the impact nearly shattered it.
- Libration and orbit measurements (2024) point to a young inner ocean, roughly 5–15 million years old.