When did the Cassini mission end?
Quick Answer
NASA's Cassini spacecraft ended its mission on 15 September 2017 by diving into Saturn's atmosphere after 13 years orbiting the planet.
The Full Story
Cassini, a joint mission of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, launched in October 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004. It carried ESA's Huygens probe, which landed on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, on 14 January 2005. Cassini discovered water-ice plumes erupting from the moon Enceladus, suggesting an underground ocean. Running low on fuel, it completed 22 daring 'Grand Finale' orbits between the planet and its rings. It was then deliberately plunged into Saturn so it could never crash into and contaminate Titan or Enceladus.
Key Facts
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"A spacecraft's final dive — why Cassini was sent crashing into Saturn."