Cassini Mission Prepares for 'Grand Finale'

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA’s Cassini Mission Prepares for 'Grand Finale' at Saturn

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NASA's Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since 2004, is about to begin the final chapter of its remarkable story. On Wednesday, April 26, the spacecraft will make the first in a series of dives through the 1,500-mile-wide (2,400-kilometer) gap between Saturn and its rings as part of the mission’s grand finale.

"No spacecraft has ever gone through the unique region that we'll attempt to boldly cross 22 times," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "What we learn from Cassini’s daring final orbits will further our understanding of how giant planets, and planetary systems everywhere, form and evolve. This is truly discovery in action to the very end."

  Read More: NASA

 

[Merc14]

Incredibly successful mission that with the last of its fuel will provide some very exciting science and then go out with a bang.

[qxcontinuum]

cant wait to see pictures.

[Merc14]

Just now, qxcontinuum said:

cant wait to see pictures.

They should be as amazing as all the rest of the amazing, groundbreaking images this craft has provided over the last decade.  I can't wait either! 

[wadoor]

Wow, this is so exciting. Some close pics of saturns ring will be amazing. I think I'm going to have another geek freak out.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

1 hour ago, wadoor said:

Wow, this is so exciting. Some close pics of saturns ring will be amazing.

Cassini is already taking close pictures of the rings, see here: Close Views of Saturn's Rings

During the closest point in its dives between Saturn and the rings Cassini will probably not get its best images of the rings as it will be viewing them edge on.

2 hours ago, wadoor said:

I think I'm going to have another geek freak out.

Join the club.

 

[Derek Willis]

James Clerk Maxwell, who died in 1879, worked out that Saturn's rings could only be stable if they were made up of fragments. Less than a century after his death, in 1972 NASA launched Pioneer 11, which took the first close up look at the rings. Now with Cassini we are going to have a really close up look. Amazing!

[wadoor]

Thanks waspie_dwarf I thought I'd seen all of the ring images, but clearly I had not. Well side on images won't be as impressive I guess, but I'm sure it'll still be exciteding, and yeah can I join the club?

[Waspie_Dwarf]

5 hours ago, wadoor said:

yeah can I join the club?

I don't think that there is any doubt that you are already a member. ☺

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Cassini Heads Toward Final Close Encounter with Titan

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NASA's Cassini spacecraft will make its final close flyby of Saturn's haze-enshrouded moon Titan this weekend. The flyby marks the mission's final opportunity for up-close observations of the lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons that spread across the moon's northern polar region, and the last chance to use its powerful radar to pierce the haze and make detailed images of the surface.

Closest approach to Titan is planned for 11:08 p.m. PDT on April 21 (2:08 a.m. EDT April 22). During the encounter, Cassini will pass as close as 608 miles (979 kilometers) above Titan's surface at a speed of about 13,000 mph (21,000 kph).

  Read More: NASA