Buzz
After a journey like no other, spanning seven years and 2.2 billion miles, NASA's Cassini orbiter finally reached the Saturn system on June 30, 2004. Since then, it has been sending back crucial data about this distant realm. From deploying the Huygens probe onto Titan’s surface to observing massive storms at both of Saturn's poles, Cassini's discoveries have contributed to more than 3,000 scientific papers.
Cassini’s mission is one of the most remarkable any spacecraft has ever undertaken. Tomorrow, it will complete its final task: plunging into Saturn's harsh atmosphere in a self-sacrificial act. This deliberate descent will provide just a bit more data, and also prevent the spacecraft—low on fuel—from accidentally crashing into a Saturnian moon that could potentially support life.
Unable to store additional data on its hard drive, Cassini will broadcast its fiery demise through a livestream via NASA. The stream will primarily transmit measurements, as sending pictures would take too long. Expect to receive data on Saturn’s magnetic field and the makeup of its gas and dust.
"As we pass through the atmosphere, we can actually collect some molecules, which will help us confirm the true composition of Saturn’s atmosphere," said Scott Edgington, a Cassini project scientist, in an interview with New Scientist. "Like nearly everything else in this mission, I anticipate being completely astonished."
The event will begin at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday, September 15, with scientists bidding farewell to Cassini less than an hour later.
While waiting for Cassini’s final moments, you can explore some key insights we’ve gathered from Saturn experts. And don’t miss a complete recap of Cassini’s incredible journey: Mytour will be at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, providing a firsthand report of the spacecraft’s last moments in space.
