Cassini’s Grand Finale
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Cassini, the NASA spacecraft whose breakthrough discoveries about Saturn and its many moons revolutionized the search for life beyond Earth, disintegrated Friday morning in the skies above the ringed planet.
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They clapped, though they didn’t smile. But what did you expect?
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Saturn is famous for its rings, but more than 60 moons orbit the planet as well.
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After 13 years of observing Saturn, its rings and its myriad moons, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is less than three weeks away from a fiery, brutal end.
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What do you do with a 20-year-old spacecraft that has spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, logged 4.1 billion miles in space and is about to run out of fuel?
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Great news for Cassini fans: The NASA spacecraft sent word that it successfully completed its first pass through the uncharted territory between Saturn and its rings late Wednesday.
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Here’s the nothingness Cassini heard as it flew through the empty space between Saturn and its rings
What lies in the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings?
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One day our human descendants may be able to go sightseeing in the glorious Saturn system.
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This motion graphic shows highlights of Cassini’s missions from 2004-2017.