Cassini's Last Photos Will Be Spectacular
NASA's Saturn probe has advanced scientists' search for life in the universe.
Nice shot.
Photographer: NASA/WireImageThis article is for subscribers only.
If you see a space scientist looking forlorn this month, it's probably because NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn is about to end. There's nothing anyone can do about it; the spacecraft has already been kept operational for nine years past its planned expiry date. And now it's out of fuel.
But Cassini will be missed. Since 2004, it's been scrutinizing the most recognizable planet in our solar system -- and many of Saturn's rings and moons. Now the space scientists operating the craft have found a way to make its Grand Finale especially memorable and important, by shifting its orbit to collect extra data, even as it prepares for a fatal dive into Saturn itself.