NASA’s Cassini spacecraft completes fiery plunge into Saturn, ending a successful 20-year mission
What you need to know:
Cassini launched on its billion-mile journey on October 15, 1997, and arrived in Saturn’s orbit in 2004.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has reached the end of a remarkable Saturn mission.
Cassini launched on its billion-mile journey on October 15, 1997, and arrived in Saturn’s orbit in 2004.
The pioneering spacecraft surveyed Saturn's rings and exposed its moons as prime targets in the search for life beyond Earth. It also delivered the Huygens probe to Saturn's largest moon, Titan — the first landing in the outer solar system.
During its final plunge, the Cassini spacecraft captured samples of Saturn’s atmosphere and transmitted real-time data, serving the mission until the last moment.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
