By Valeria Bula
The end of a historic 20 year scientific endeavor has arrived as Cassini became a part of the perplexing and beautiful planet it once studied.
Contact was lost with Cassini after it completed it’s deliberate “death dive” into Saturn’s atmosphere at 6:30 am Eastern Time on Friday, with NASA confirming it’s demise at 7:55 am.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft sends its final image before making its final descent into Saturn's atmosphere. https://t.co/bxKoyqzWE8 pic.twitter.com/EcdeBvOAJV
— ABC News (@ABC) September 16, 2017
Known as Cassini–Huygens, the mission was a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency to send a probe to study the planet Saturn and its system, including its rings and natural satellites. It was launched October 5th, 1997, and on October 15, two decades since its launch, history was made as Cassini completed its mission at Saturn.
This picture of #Saturn is made from some of the last images we'll receive from #Cassini, acquired Sept. 13, 2017. #CassiniInspires pic.twitter.com/OSe1Zkybey
— Jason Major (@JPMajor) September 15, 2017
For about a minute, Cassini was able to transmit new data about the planet’s composition as long as its antenna remained pointed toward Earth. Then, the spacecraft burned and disintegrated due to the heat and high pressure of the hostile atmosphere. It became part of the planet it set out to explore.
“It was a perfect spacecraft,” said Julie Webster, spacecraft operations chief to CNN. “Right to the end, it did everything we asked it to. It’s perfect, it’s perfect.”
No other spacecraft in history had been so close to Saturn as Cassini, even experiencing Saturn’s atmosphere seconds before disintegrating.
After its 1997 launch, the craft reached Saturn’s atmosphere in 2004, spending 13 years exploring the mysterious planet’s atmosphere and moons. Numerous discoveries and changes in perspective towards the solar system came about with years of images and data obtained from the craft.
From seas of liquid methane on the moon Titan, to Saturn's aurora, here are some of @CassiniSaturn’s top discoveries https://t.co/iXr9YOLHur pic.twitter.com/VLJHyHtZlf
— NASA (@NASA) September 14, 2017
On Thursday, Cassini captured its final images in preparation for its terminal plunge. It’s last image and most meaningful, however, was right before its crash on Friday, capturing the icy moon Enceladus setting behind Saturn.
Mission Accomplished: NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Ends Its Historic Exploration of Saturn — https://t.co/W46wNZytQ9#ICYMI #SaturnSaturday pic.twitter.com/GUcLF9SmYy
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) September 16, 2017
Several years ago, a remarkable discovery was made in the icy Enceladus: water vapor and gas shoot from cracks in its surface. This gave way to the theory that a liquid oceans lies beneath the icy surface, catapulting Enceladus to the top of the list as one of the places in our solar system which could possibly sustain life. Cassini opened the doors to a future discovery of life that is untouched, evolved and formed in another world.
The loss of the spacecraft was also a bittersweet finale for the team behind the mission. Although thrilled by the scientific breakthroughs discovered by Cassini’s unprecedented proximity to Saturn, the end of this era proved both melancholic, and inspirational.
Images from @CassiniSaturn's #GrandFinale dive are being posted – https://t.co/yYbjbC4WLi #GoodByeCassini pic.twitter.com/bxIaQAxeFM
— NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) September 15, 2017
“A superb machine in an amazing place doing everything possible to reveal the mysteries and secrets of our solar system,” said Earl Maize, Cassini project manager on Friday morning. “This morning, a lone explorer, a machine made by humankind, finished its mission 900 million miles away. To the very end, the spacecraft did everything we asked. We believe we got every last second of data. We have indeed accomplished everything we set out to do.”
Every time we see Saturn in the night sky, we'll remember. We'll smile. And we'll want to go back. #GrandFinale #GoodbyeCassini #Cassini pic.twitter.com/6tzJ4N9Jif
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) September 15, 2017
Photos: the most inspiring, beautiful, and historic images from the Cassini mission
