NASA launched the Cassini spacecraft on 15 October 1997 for a long mission to Saturn and its moons. It reached Saturn in 2004 and later ended by plunging into the planet in 2017.
01Summary
- 01NASA launched Cassini aboard a Titan 4B rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on 15 October 1997.
- 02The spacecraft took almost seven years to reach Saturn and entered orbit in 2004.
- 03Huygens rode with Cassini and landed on Titan in 2005.
- 04Cassini spent 13 years studying the Saturn system and ended its mission on 15 September 2017 by diving into Saturn's atmosphere.
02Why it matters
The mission changed what scientists knew about Saturn, Titan and Enceladus, including the possibility of liquid water and other conditions linked to habitability. It was also ended deliberately to protect Saturn's moons from contamination.
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