Scientific Celebration of 20 Years Since the Huygens Landing and the Start of the Cassini Mission

26 septembre 2025 Par Athena Coustenis Scientific Celebration of 20 Years Since the Huygens Landing and the Start of the Cassini Mission

The Paris Observatory hosted a landmark scientific event from 16 to 18 September 2025, marking two decades since the historic Huygens landing on Titan and the beginning of the Cassini mission. More than 150 participants—both in person and online—from 11 different countries came together to reflect on this extraordinary chapter in space exploration. The event was held in the Observatory’s Salle Cassini, named in honor of the renowned French-Italian director of the institution.


A rich and diverse program

Présentation lors du colloque célébrant les 20 ans des missions Huygens et Cassini
Crédit : Athéna Coustenis (LIRA - Observatoire de Paris-PSL)

The three-day program featuring presentations from the Principal Investigators and Project Scientists of the Cassini and Huygens missions. Attendees were treated to a wealth of new scientific results, alongside forward-looking discussions from research teams preparing future missions to Titan, informed by broad community input to space agencies.

The full program, abstracts, and a selection of photos are already available on the event website : https://huygens20.sciencesconf.org. Recordings of the sessions and presentations will be added soon.

A memorable gathering

Photo de groupe devant le batiment Cassini lors du colloque célébrant les 20 ans des missions Huygens et Cassini
Crédit : Athéna Coustenis (LIRA - Observatoire de Paris-PSL)

This gathering underscored the enduring value of international collaboration, the strength of scientific camaraderie, and the profound impact of space exploration.
We extend our sincere thanks to the local organizers and to our generous sponsors : IUGG, DIM ORIGINES, Région Île-de-France, CNES, SFE, ESA, and of course Paris Observatory–PSL (acknowledged on the event website).

We look forward to many more celebrations of international scientific achievements in the years to come !
The Steering committee : A. Coustenis, B. Bézard, R. Courtin, C. De Bergh, M. Fulchignoni, T. Gautier, W. Ip, P. Lavvas, J-P. Lebreton, J. Lunine, F. Raulin, C. Sotin, L. Spilker, E. Turtle, O. Witasse, J. Zarnecki.

Conférences