posted 12-19-2021 04:34 PM               

Space Cover #632: Cassini's Grand Finale

This Space Cover of the Week commemorates the grand finale of the Cassini Saturn spacecraft.

The spacecraft was launched on Oct. 15, 1997 aboard Titan-4 B-33 launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex-40. After 20 years exploring Saturn and its moons and ring system, the decision was made to end the mission due to the spacecraft running out of propellant to keep the spacecraft in orbit. Scientists devised a plan to dive the spacecraft into the atmosphere of Saturn all the while transmitting data to Earth. The spacecraft burned up about 45 seconds after last transmission.

The Cassini mission was a collaboration among NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The mission was controlled at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.