Salle Cassini, Paris Observatory, France

Twenty years ago, on 14 January 2005, the Huygens probe, carried into the Saturnian system by the Cassini probe, landed on the surface of Titan, its largest satellite, after a 2.5-hour parachute descent. Launched in 1997, after 7.5 years of interplanetary travel, the Cassini-Huygens space mission delivered 13 years of exploration of an extremely complex planet-satellites-ring system with unique dynamic processes and couplings.  Huygens demonstrates the exceptional capabilities of the European Space Agency and European laboratories in the exploration of the solar system, in association with many partners around the world. The results of this mission are numerous, rich and continue to provide us with new information to this day.

We propose to take advantage of the 20th anniversary of the Huygens landing to look back on this remarkable event, which marked the history of space exploration, review the information obtained during this exceptional exploration and discuss the future projects of space agencies at the dawn of programs such as ESA's Voyage 2050 or NASA's Decadal Survey (Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032). During this three-day symposium, we will discuss the origins and discoveries of this international mission (ESA, NASA, ASI) in terms of science and technological processes, but we also look to the future with the increasingly ambitious programs of the space agencies, for a return to Titan and also to Enceladus, Saturn's other satellite with extraordinary characteristics.

Indeed, in the decades to come, our knowledge, not only of Titan (thanks to the Dragonfly mission which will be launched in 2028), but also of the other satellites and of icy worlds in general, in particular Enceladus, the preferred target of future flagship missions (NASA's "Flagship" or ESA's L4), will be manifold. The same is true for the Saturnian system and our solar system in general. Cassini-Huygens is still cited today as an example of a successful international collaboration by space agencies and experts, who praise its scientific merit and the inspiration it provides for future generations. It can act as a bridge to the future and its legacy will certainly ensure a scientific return of great importance for generations to come.