WHAT DID CASSINI DISCOVER DURING ITS 20-YEAR MISSION IN
7 years, 1 month ago

WHAT DID CASSINI DISCOVER DURING ITS 20-YEAR MISSION IN

Daily Mail  

Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1997, then spent seven years in transit followed by 13 years orbiting Saturn. An artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft studying Saturn In 2000 it spent six months studying Jupiter before reaching Saturn in 2004. In that time, it discovered six more moons around Saturn, three-dimensional structures towering above Saturn's rings, and a giant storm that raged across the planet for nearly a year. On 24 December it released the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan to study its atmosphere and surface composition. In March 2013 Cassini made the last flyby of Saturn's moon Rhea and measured its internal structure and gravitational pull.

Mission Moon Titan Saturn Cassini Enceladus  mission  flyby  moons  captured  20year  saturn  rings  titan  saturns  discover  cassini  moon

History of this topic

NASA to send a flying robot to explore Saturn's moon Titan
5 years, 9 months ago

NASA to send a flying robot to explore Saturn's moon Titan

Salon  

NASA announced Thursday that it is sending a billion-dollar flying robot to explore the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, as part of a new mission called "Dragonfly." Titan's atmosphere is also four times denser than Earth's and its gravity is about one-seventh of Earth's — a combination that makes it an ideal location to deploy a drone and investigate …

NASA's Cassini mission data is still helping scientists understand the rings of Saturn – Firstpost
5 years, 9 months ago

NASA's Cassini mission data is still helping scientists understand the rings of Saturn – Firstpost

Firstpost  

Cassini was in space for 20 years and has provided information that scientists are still studying and understanding. When Cassini moved closer to Saturn in its final year, it observed intricate details on the rings of Saturn. “The new observations give scientists an even more intimate view of the rings than they had before, and each examination reveals new complexities,” …

Saturn spent almost an entire existence solo, before getting its stunning rings
6 years, 2 months ago

Saturn spent almost an entire existence solo, before getting its stunning rings

Firstpost  

Saturn’s primary rings appear to be just 10 million to 100 million years old, a new study has found. An Italian-led team reported on 17 January in the journal Science that Saturn’s primary rings appear to be just 10 million to 100 million years old. The findings are based on data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft while repeatedly diving between …

Scientists: Saturn spent billions of years without its rings
6 years, 2 months ago

Scientists: Saturn spent billions of years without its rings

Associated Press  

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Saturn may have flown solo for billions of years — almost its entire existence — before getting its stunning set of rings, a new study suggests. An Italian-led team reported Thursday in the journal Science that Saturn’s primary rings appear to be just 10 million to 100 million years old. The findings are based on data …

Scientists discover 10,000kg of hail pours down from Saturn's rings every second
6 years, 5 months ago

Scientists discover 10,000kg of hail pours down from Saturn's rings every second

Daily Mail  

The rings of Saturn are raining down up to 10,000 kg of frozen material on the gas giant every second. Scientists now believe, thanks to data from the Cassini mission, that up to 10,000 kg of frozen material on the gas giant every second 'Turns out, ring rain is more like a ring downpour,' said Dr. Hunter Waite, the paper's …

What Cassini learned about Saturn during its death dive
7 years, 5 months ago

What Cassini learned about Saturn during its death dive

CNN  

Story highlights Data from Cassini's final dive reveal new information about Saturn's atmosphere Cassini observations confirmed that moons hold Saturn's rings in place CNN — Although NASA’s Cassini mission ended in September, new findings are being released about what the spacecraft “learned” about Saturn and its moons during the final days. When Cassini sank into Saturn’s upper atmosphere, it was …

Cassini reveals stunning image of Saturn's moon Enceladus
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini reveals stunning image of Saturn's moon Enceladus

Daily Mail  

It is a stunning, almost ghostly view of Saturn's moon. More than a week after its dramatic ‘death dive’ into Saturn’s atmosphere, NASA has released Cassini’s final images, revealing stunning last looks at the ringed planet and its mysterious moons. Space enthusiast Jason Major used some of Cassini's final images to stitch together a stunning composite of Saturn as Cassini …

Cassini’s 13-year odyssey comes to end with a fiery plunge into Saturn
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini’s 13-year odyssey comes to end with a fiery plunge into Saturn

India TV News  

US space agency NASA received a final signal from its Cassini spacecraft on Friday, whose 13-year-old unparalleled journey came to an end with a meteor-link plunge into the Saturn’s crushing atmosphere. According to NASA, Cassini, the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, entered the planet’s crushing atmosphere at 7.55 a.m. EDT on Friday, with the signal received by NASA's Deep Space …

Farewell Cassini: Saturn spacecraft makes fiery, final dive
7 years, 6 months ago

Farewell Cassini: Saturn spacecraft makes fiery, final dive

Associated Press  

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s Cassini spacecraft disintegrated in the skies above Saturn on Friday in a final, fateful blaze of cosmic glory, following a remarkable journey of 20 years. “Farewell, faithful explorer.” This Grand Finale, as NASA called it, came about as Cassini’s fuel tank started getting low after 13 years exploring the planet. Seventeenth-century astronomers supplied the spacecraft …

20 things we learned from Cassini's 20-year journey
7 years, 6 months ago

20 things we learned from Cassini's 20-year journey

The Hindu  

After a remarkable journey of 20 years, NASA's lone mission to Staurn, the Cassini spacecraft, ended its journey on September 15 by disintegrating in the skies above the planet. What Titan's surface looks like Cassini, in its journey to map Saturn’s world, also had a passenger — an entry probe called Huygens which managed to land on the planet’s biggest …

NASA's Cassini spacecraft ends its epic 20 year long mission with a fiery plunge into Saturn's atmosphere
7 years, 6 months ago

NASA's Cassini spacecraft ends its epic 20 year long mission with a fiery plunge into Saturn's atmosphere

Firstpost  

NASA’s USD 3.9 billion Cassini spacecraft today ended its 20-year-long groundbreaking journey with a fiery plunge into the Saturn’s crushing atmosphere, beaming back never-before-seen images of the ringed planet and its mysterious moons until the last moment. Operators deliberately made Cassini, the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, dive into the gas giant to ensure that the planets moons - in …

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft burns up over Saturn ending 20-year-long journey
7 years, 6 months ago

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft burns up over Saturn ending 20-year-long journey

India TV News  

NASA's Cassini spacecraft today ended its 20-year-long epic journey with a fiery plunge into the Saturn's crushing atmosphere, while beaming back never-before-seen images of the ringed planet and its moons. Operators deliberately made Cassini, the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, dive into the gas giant to ensure that the ringed planet's moons - in particular Enceladus, with its subsurface ocean …

Cassini completes its mission by burning up in the Saturnian atmosphere: All you need to know about the spacecraft
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini completes its mission by burning up in the Saturnian atmosphere: All you need to know about the spacecraft

Firstpost  

On 15 September 2017, at about 5:30 PM IST, Cassini completed its 20 year mission during the course of which it achieved a number of scientific breakthroughs. Cassini has discovered 7 previously unknown moons of Saturn during the course of its mission, including the “waverider” moon, Daphnis, which causes ripples in the rings of Saturn that are kilometres long. NASA …

Cassini burns up in skies over Saturn, ends 20-year mission
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini burns up in skies over Saturn, ends 20-year mission

The Hindu  

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft disintegrated in the skies above Saturn early on September 15 in a final, fateful blaze of cosmic glory, following a remarkable journey of 20 years. Our spacecraft has entered Saturn's atmosphere, and we have received its final transmission, tweets @CassiniSaturn 5.01 p.m. IST: @NASAJPL tweets: Cassini Mission Control update: Loss of signal expected ~4.54 a.m. PT. "The …

You can watch NASA's Cassini make its 'Grand Finale' dive into Saturn's atmosphere later today: Here's how
7 years, 6 months ago

You can watch NASA's Cassini make its 'Grand Finale' dive into Saturn's atmosphere later today: Here's how

Firstpost  

The Cassini mission was launched in 1997 as a joint venture between NASA, ESA and the ASI. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is all set to end its 13-year mission to Saturn at 5.30 pm IST on 15 September. By the time the images reach Earth, Cassini will already have taken the final plunge and burnt up like a meteor in Saturn’s …

Cassini, NASA’s 13-year Saturn mission, has ended
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini, NASA’s 13-year Saturn mission, has ended

CNN  

Story highlights After more than a decade spent in the Saturn system, the Cassini mission is over It deliberately crashed into Saturn to protect the integrity of Saturn's moons for future study CNN — Contact has been lost with the Cassini spacecraft after it completed a “death dive” into the upper atmosphere of Saturn and transmitted its final signal, according …

As Nasa sends Cassini spacecraft to a spectacular death on Saturn, scientists describe delight and pride with mission
7 years, 6 months ago

As Nasa sends Cassini spacecraft to a spectacular death on Saturn, scientists describe delight and pride with mission

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Cassini has turned the moons of Saturn from dots of light into places, from Huygens landing on …

Nasa's 13-year old mission Cassini-Huygens mission to take its final dive into Saturn on 15 September
7 years, 6 months ago

Nasa's 13-year old mission Cassini-Huygens mission to take its final dive into Saturn on 15 September

Firstpost  

Cassini’s final manoeuvres begin at 0714 GMT on Friday, although the signal will only reach Nasa 86 minutes later. Nasa’s Cassini probe is counting its final hours before one last plunge into Saturn on Friday that will cap a fruitful 13-year mission that greatly expanded knowledge about the gas giant. “The Cassini mission has been packed full of scientific firsts, …

Cassini spacecraft’s 13-year Saturn mission ends Friday
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini spacecraft’s 13-year Saturn mission ends Friday

CNN  

Story highlights The NASA Cassini mission ends Friday after 13 years observing the Saturn system Cassini data has revealed groundbreaking discoveries about Saturn and its moons CNN — Prepare to say goodbye to Cassini. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn's moons Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas are shown in this image taken by the Cassini spacecraft on December 3, 2015. See Cassini's top …

‘OK. Let’s do it!’ An oral history of how NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn came to be
7 years, 6 months ago

‘OK. Let’s do it!’ An oral history of how NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn came to be

LA Times  

In the predawn hours Friday, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will make a suicide dive into Saturn’s atmosphere, vaporizing like a tiny meteor in the vast Saturnian sky. Voyager’s unanswered questions Linda Spilker, Cassini mission project scientist at JPL: Had we not had Voyager, I don’t think we would have had Cassini. Epilogue There would be more nail-biting moments to come over …

Cassini set for final dive towards Saturn on 15 September; imaging cameras to send photos of Titan and Enceladus
7 years, 6 months ago

Cassini set for final dive towards Saturn on 15 September; imaging cameras to send photos of Titan and Enceladus

Firstpost  

Nasa’s robotic spacecraft Cassini that has been orbiting Saturn for 13 years is set for a final dive towards the planet and burn up in its atmosphere in a “grand finale” after it flies past Titan Nasa’s robotic spacecraft Cassini that has been orbiting Saturn for 13 years is set for a final dive towards the planet and burn up …

Nasa prepares to slam Cassini spacecraft into Saturn to protect planet from alien invasion
7 years, 7 months ago

Nasa prepares to slam Cassini spacecraft into Saturn to protect planet from alien invasion

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nasa is about to fly its Cassini spacecraft into Saturn, destroying it in …

Cassini begins first of the five flyby over Saturn's atmosphere
7 years, 7 months ago

Cassini begins first of the five flyby over Saturn's atmosphere

Firstpost  

Cassini will travelling around 1,600 Km above the gaseous clouds pf Saturn, allowing it to take direct sample of the gas present in the extended atmosphere. The spacecraft is about to commence the first of a total of five ultra-close passes around the ringed gas giant, giving the scientists back home valuable data regarding the planet’s atmosphere. Cassini will travelling …

Nasa’s Cassini probe to begin final five orbits around Saturn
7 years, 7 months ago

Nasa’s Cassini probe to begin final five orbits around Saturn

Live Mint  

Washington: Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft is set to begin its final five ultra-close orbits around Saturn, before the probe plunges into the atmosphere of the ringed planet and ends its epic 20-year-long journey. The spacecraft is expected to encounter atmosphere dense enough to require the use of its small rocket thrusters to maintain stability - conditions similar to those encountered during …

NASA's Cassini to begin last five grand finale orbits by diving closer to Saturn's atmosphere
7 years, 7 months ago

NASA's Cassini to begin last five grand finale orbits by diving closer to Saturn's atmosphere

Firstpost  

In the final few orbits before it crashes into Saturn, Cassini will collect direct samples of the atmosphere for the first time. In the last five remaining complete orbits, Cassini will dive closer than ever to the upper atmosphere of Saturn, encountering dense matter in the process. In the last but fifth dive, Cassini will collect direct samples of Saturn’s …

Cassini spacecraft sends back stunning images and data as it prepares to crash into Saturn
7 years, 8 months ago

Cassini spacecraft sends back stunning images and data as it prepares to crash into Saturn

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nasa release stunning video detailing Cassini spacecraft's final journey Before that, however, the ship is still conducting …

NASA's 2004 Cassini spacecraft observes solstice arriving at Saturn and its moons for the first time
7 years, 10 months ago

NASA's 2004 Cassini spacecraft observes solstice arriving at Saturn and its moons for the first time

Firstpost  

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has reached a new milestone as it observed Saturn’s solstice arriving at the planet and its moons this week Washington: NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has reached a new milestone as it observed Saturn’s solstice — that is, the longest day of summer in its northern hemisphere and the shortest day of winter in its southern hemisphere — arriving …

Cassini spacecraft's 'Grand Finale' takes off with a Google Doodle
7 years, 11 months ago

Cassini spacecraft's 'Grand Finale' takes off with a Google Doodle

Firstpost  

The Cassini spacecraft has just passed over Titan and thanks to the moon’s gravity has changed its path in what would be its final manoeuvre. The spacecraft which is now 20 years old, had been orbiting Saturn’s Moon Titan and has now entered its science rich final act called the ‘Grand Finale’. Today’s Google Doodle bids goodbye to Cassini and …

See pics! NASA's Cassini spacecraft captures first images of Saturn’s atmosphere from new orbit
8 years, 3 months ago

See pics! NASA's Cassini spacecraft captures first images of Saturn’s atmosphere from new orbit

India TV News  

US space agency NASA’s Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn has sent its first views of the planet’s atmosphere showing scenes from high above the planet's northern hemisphere, including an intriguing hexagon-shaped jet stream. Each of these week-long orbits - 20 in all - carries the spacecraft high above Saturn’s northern hemisphere before sending it skimming past the outer edges of the …

Cassini Gets Life Extension to Explore Saturn Until 2017
15 years, 1 month ago

Cassini Gets Life Extension to Explore Saturn Until 2017

Wired  

NASA gave its Cassini spacecraft mission a 6 ½-year life extension to continue exploring Saturn and its moons. "Cassini has been an adventure of a lifetime, an extraordinary exploration of the most enchanting place in all the solar system," said Carolyn Porco, leader of the Cassini Imaging Team. "The extension presents a unique opportunity to follow seasonal changes of an …

A tour of Saturn
19 years, 9 months ago

A tour of Saturn

The Hindu  

Titan's rich organic chemistry makes it a planetary-scale laboratory for studying the pre-biotic processes that may have led to the origin of life on the earth. In addition to 45 planned fly-bys of Titan, Cassini will conduct approximately six fly-bys of Saturn's medium-sized iced satellites at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 km. The Cassini orbiter, which carries 12 science instruments, …

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