m. 9 billion. EDT). The launch of Cassini aboard a Titan IV-B/Centaur launch vehicle is scheduled for 4:55 a. The estimations fit with current knowledge of the moon – that its polar regions are "lower" than. Earthlings bid farewell to the Cassini spacecraft tonight as the. Lessons All About Saturn Explore our collection of standards-aligned lessons about NASA's Cassini mission. Notable Accomplishments: Deployed the Huygens Probe into Titan's atmosphere. News Media Contact. 14, 2005 landing of Europe's Huygens probe on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. 5 billion km at the. Hubble's Grand Tour of the Outer Solar System. Pacific Daylight Time (03:28 Universal Time August 18). A global ocean lies beneath the icy crust of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus, according to new research using data from NASA's Cassini mission. Cassini’s name adorned the mission’s 22-foot-long (6. Insights from the mission also. From 2004 to 2007, Cassini made several flybys of Jupiter, providing new insights into the gas giant’s atmosphere and. Icy material sprayed by Enceladus, which makes. A joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Cassini sent a sophisticated robotic spacecraft to orbit the ringed planet and study the Saturnian system in detail. Despite being Saturn's third-largest moon, Iapetus orbits much farther from Saturn than its next closest major satellite (Titan). How It Works On April 22, Cassini flew within 608 miles (979 km) of Saturn’s giant moon Titan, using the moon’s gravity to place the spacecraft on its path for the ring-gap orbits. The first global geologic map of Titan is based on radar and visible-light images from NASA's Cassini mission, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017. Enceladus’ water plumes shoot water vapour and tiny. Cassini-Huygens data also revealed that that Titan could have reserves of liquid water, similar to those on Jupiter’s moon Europa, trapped beneath its frigid surface. The Soviets struck first, flying Luna 1 by the moon in January 1959. The spacecraft made its closest approach to Titan today at 12:04 p. The data for the study come from a legendary NASA mission back in 2008, when the space agency's legendary Cassini probe dove through jets of icy water vapor, gases, and organic material that. completed its passage through our solar system's asteroid belt between Mars. Using a special spectral filter, Cassini was able to peer through. Cassini is in good health. Using data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, scientists have created the first global topographic map of Saturn's moon Titan, giving researchers a 3-D tool for learning more about one of the most Earthlike and interesting worlds in the solar system. m. This. The spacecraft Cassini ended its 20-year mission on Friday with a final death dive into the planet Saturn. Explore Spacecraft A deeper look at the sophisticated systems that deliver the stunning science and […] Season 1 Sep 14, 2017. It is larger than Earth’s moon and even planet Mercury. "The hazy moon may hold clues to how the primitive Earth evolved into a life-bearing planet," he said. The program's primary goals, as described in the 2014 NASA Science Plan,. This article provides a timeline of the Cassini–Huygens mission. "Fly me to the moon" -- to Saturn's moon Titan, that is. In addition, he was the first to record observations of. The process is called an “occultation” because the object in the background (in this case a star) is “occulted” (hidden) by an object in the. It has also the most inclined orbital plane of any of the regular. A Mollweide projection of the first global geologic map of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is based on radar and visible and infrared images from NASA's Cassini mission, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017. Interact. On Oct. Apollo 12 commander Charles Conrad Jr. 19, at 9:49 a. -- Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed Saturn's moon Titan likely harbors a layer of liquid water under its ice shell. ET. The Huygens Gap is the widest black swath near the middle of the. - Full video and caption. The Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) was a joint NASA / ESA proposal for an exploration of Saturn and its moons [7] Titan and Enceladus, where many complex phenomena have been revealed by the recent Cassini–Huygens mission. The seven main rings are labeled in the order in which they were discovered. Dwayne Brown. Cassni’s final journey in local AEST times. The orbit's shape is significant, as it indicates the type of interaction the moon has with the ring material surrounding it. Cassini-Huygens revealed Titan to be one of the most Earth-like worlds we’ve encountered and shed light. Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint NASA-European Space Agency (ESA) mission, with NASA providing the launch vehicle and JPL-built orbiter, and ESA providing an atmosphere entry probe targeted at the Saturnian moon Titan. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Data from the Cassini spacecraft have led to discoveries that include water ice and vapor geysers in the south polar region of the small moon Enceladus; an active hydrocarbon hydrological cycle (including liquid methane/ethane lakes, dendritic channels, dunes, clouds, and possible precipitation) on Titan; verification of the continued existence. m. New findings have emerged about five tiny moons nestled in and near Saturn's rings. When Cassini arrived, it was processed in three or four different facilities at Kennedy. Like the ancient cartographers of old, scientists working with images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft of Saturn's icy airless moons have carefully crafted detailed maps that one day may guide future explorers across the surfaces of these remote bodies. Bacon, D. On Dec. The spacecraft burned up in a patch of Saturn sky at 9. Launching in 2026, this space telescope will look back in time with even greater detail, targeting areas. Highlights. Cassini, Saturn Moon Photographer. The Oct. - Full video and caption. NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed a course adjustment April 3 during its journey toward Saturn. NASA Planetary Science Highlights: 2021. 1. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a NASA/ESA/ASI mission to explore the Saturnian system. 25, 2004 (Dec. At 9:12 p. That changed in June 2004. com The colorful globe of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, passes in front of the planet and its rings in this true color snapshot from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Arrived at Saturn: July 2004. It measures 6. Nine Ways Cassini-Huygens Mattered. To avoid accidentally crashing into and contaminating a nearby moon that may harbor alien. 2 flyby of Saturn's 'Death Star' moon returned eye-catching images of its most distinctive feature, the spectacular 140-kilometer diameter (87-mile. 11 June 2004 – Cassini flew by the moon Phoebe at 19:33 UT in Spacecraft Event Time at 2068 kilometers distance. The flybys on this particular Cassini road trip were "non-targeted" flybys, meaning navigators did not refine Cassini's path to fly over particular points on each moon. This map of Iapetus is a huge improvement on the previous. Cassini carried a passenger to the Saturn system, the European Huygens probe—the first human-made object to land on a world in the distant outer solar system. Orientation is maintained through the use of either three reaction wheel assemblies. Running low on fuel, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun the final — and most daring — phase of its epic mission to Saturn . Cassini-Huygens would swing by Venus, Earth. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and ESA’s Huygens probe expanded our understanding of the kinds of worlds where life might exist. PDT (3:04 p. [4] [5] Cassini is known for his work on. The new flyover maps show, for the first time, the 3-D topography and height of the 1,200-meter (4,000-foot) mountain tops, the north polar lake country, the vast dunes more than 100. The maneuver was designed using new procedures the mission will employ for course adjustments while orbiting Saturn. 15, burned up in Saturn's atmosphere. Cassini Jupiter. 5 billion in pre-launch costs (including launch vehicle and contributions from ESA and the Italian Space Agency), and $1. The mission is scheduled to end in September 2017. With the shocking launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957, the moon changed from a distant silver disk in the sky to a real place, a probable destination for probes and people. › Full image and caption. NASA/JPL-Caltech. Dennis Matson, Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Fly me to the moon" -- to Saturn's moon Titan, that is. First to sample an extraterrestrial ocean. Twice during the mission, engineers used a technique called a pi transfer to alter the spacecraft’s orbit. The Story Timeline Cassini’s exploration of Saturn spans decades. At closet approach Cassini will be 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the surface, while flying through the plume Cassini's altitude will be 200 kilometers (120) miles from the moon. + Full image and caption. states, observers will be able to see Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the pair rise in morning twilight. Iapetus is a world of sharp contrasts. Here are five reasons Titan is so enticing: Dragonfly is a NASA mission to explore the chemistry and habitability of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Other articles where Cassini is discussed: Cassini-Huygens:. See full list on theconversation. Phosphorus is. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper, or M3, instrument flew aboard Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the moon, and provided the first mineralogical map of the lunar suface. Cassini captures the first high-resolution glimpse of the bright trailing hemisphere of Saturn's moon Iapetus. “This is the final chapter of an amazing mission, but it’s also a new beginning,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator. Updated Sept. The spacecraft flew about 1,640 kilometers (1,000 miles) from Iapetus' surface and is returning amazing views of the bizarre moon. This was humanity's first successful attempt to land a probe on another world in the outer Solar System. About the mission. The. NASA's Cassini spacecraft will sample the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Wednesday, Oct. From edge-to-edge, the ring system would not even fit in the distance between Earth and the Moon. Cassini Completes Earth Flyby. It was the first time Cassini was close enough to create a spectral map of the surface of the innermost moon Pan. 17 -- the final close flyby of this icy satellite during the spacecraft's long mission. 33 microns; the filter. This list of icy satellite flybys includes three additional close encounters (Phoebe, Helene and Epimetheus) not included in. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. Here are only 10 of the many mysteries scientists are working to solve: An illustration of Saturn's rings and major icy moons. NASA's Cassini spacecraft obtained this unprocessed image on Dec. As Cassini entered the realm of Saturn, the spacecraft passed within 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) of. Image credit. NASA's Cassini spacecraft has had its last close brush with Saturn's hazy moon Titan and is now beginning its final set of 22 orbits around the ringed planet. A relatively low-density body made up mostly of ice, Iapetus is home to several distinctive. Among Cassini’s objectives was the study of Saturn’s rings, Titan’s atmosphere, and the behavior of Saturn’s magnetosphere. gov. Cassini's exploration of Saturn spans decades. PDT on Wednesday, flight controllers received confirmation that Cassini had completed the engine burn needed to place the spacecraft into the correct orbit. This Friday, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will come to a similar end. In late 2015, Congress directed the agency to add a lander to the Europa-exploration package. Labels point to several of the named surface features. Now for a real picture. Cassini then moved on to. like," said Dr. PDT on Wednesday, flight controllers received confirmation that Cassini had completed the engine burn needed to place the spacecraft into the correct orbit. More on that later. 2 astronomical units (AU). The Cassini Orbiter's mission consists of delivering a probe (called Huygens, provided by ESA) to Titan, and then remaining in orbit around Saturn for detailed studies of the planet and its rings and. m. This unprocessed image of Saturn's moon Titan was captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its final close flyby of the hazy, planet-sized moon on April 21, 2017. Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations. This set of enhanced-color maps made from data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft show Saturn's moons Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione and Rhea. May 2, 2012. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in. gov. org. A view of Titan from the VIMS instrument on the Cassini orbiter. time zones), and orbited the planet, studying its famous rings and family of intriguing moons. Sept. The findings from these fly-throughs are the strongest evidence yet for the existence of large-scale saltwater reservoirs beneath the moon’s icy crust. m. Future passes will include images from near closest approach, including some of the closest-ever views of the outer rings and small moons that orbit there. The Aug. PASADENA, Calif. [4] [5] Cassini is known for his work on. Illustration showing Cassini's dive through the plume of Saturn's moon Enceladus, in 2015. Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA , NASA. However, it was his discovery of the gaps in Saturn’s rings and four of its largest. This list of icy satellite flybys includes three additional close encounters (Phoebe, Helene and Epimetheus) not included in. This narrow angle image taken by Cassini's camera system of Earth's moon is one of the best of a sequence of narrow angle frames taken as the spacecraft passed by the Moon on the way to its closest approach with Earth on August 17, 1999. The archive will remain available to all as a historical record. The Flagship-class robotic spacecraft. Saturn's rings make up an enormous, complex structure. Scientists believe the geysers could. The map, made using SOFIA. Cassini's cameras will take images of three designated targets on June 10. Spinnable maps of the. The instrument also found carbon dioxide ice on Phoebe, a small moon very distant from Saturn. Huygens touched down on the moon on January 14, 2005, and became the first robotic explorer to land on an outer solar system body. The spacecraft was launched with two elements: the Cassini orbiter. 5 year interplanetary cruise. edu. Saturn’s moon Phoebe can seem unremarkable from Earth — just another run-of-the-mill space rock slowly tumbling along in its orbit, so distant and small that it’s invisible to most ground-based telescopes. Part of the Cassini team's job is to pick which image targets will yield the best science results. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NASA scientists killed the hard-working Cassini spacecraft to avoid contaminating Saturn's moons with Earth microbes because they may have the potential to support life. Galileo and Cassini Image Two Giant Plumes on Io Full Resolution:. Cassini completed its closest flyby of the odd moon Iapetus on Sept. 17, 1999 by NASA's Cassini spacecraft as it passed by the Moon during an Earth flyby while Cassini was en route to Saturn. Cassini is the largest interplanetary spacecraft ever constructed by NASA. When the Moon is within the umbra, it will turn a reddish hue. Cassini completed its four-year. Published: October 4, 2017. And the Titan IV rocket was a pretty new vehicle to the organization at the time. During its 20-year mission to Saturn, Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft has captured some breathtaking images of the ringed planet and its moons, revealing many unexpected secrets. Orbit Guide. photo from the lunar surface. Cassini carried a passenger to the Saturn system, the European Huygens probe—the first human-made object to land on a world in the distant outer solar system. Cassini was the first dedicated spacecraft to look at Saturn and its system. The map is a Simple Cylindrical (equidistant) projection and has a scale of 153 meters per pixel (500 feet. A key component to life was just discovered to be spewing from one of Saturn's moons. Bring it to life by controlling its robotic arm and learn about the many instruments aboard. The geyser basin at the south pole of Saturn's ocean moon Enceladus as seen by Cassini in 2014. NASA/ESA/W. gov. New Titan movies and images are providing a bird's-eye view of the moon's Earth-like landscapes. Minutes later, the missile came crashing back down and slammed into the ground at more than 340 mph, but the film survived and gave us our first glimpse of Earth from space. Björn Jónsson just released a new texture of Jupiter combining both his old Cassini texture and newer imagery of Juno showing the polar regions in more detail. The images for this view, were taken on Oct. NASA’s Cassini mission orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, circling the planet 294 times and teaching us almost everything we know about our ringed neighbor. According to a NASA press release, scientists reviewing data from the agency's Cassini mission, which. and Canada. 0:31. 8 m in length with a 4 m high gain antenna. This project was based on the meridian, or north-south line, on which the chief instrument of the Paris Observatory. Solar System Exploration Our Galactic Neighborhood. New Titan movies and images are providing a bird's-eye view of the moon's Earth-like landscapes. NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Now, NASA is preparing to send the drone-like spacecraft Dragonfly to dig further into a world that has become one of the most important targets of exploration. NASA. Did we. During this orbit, Cassini’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) observed Saturn ’s moon Dione to better understand the moon’s temperatures and to study the composition and structure of the moon’s surface material. The new maps of Saturn's moons, which were created by Paul Schenk of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston using data gathered by NASA's Cassini spacecraft over the past 10 years, shine a. The spacecraft snatched up precious samples that might point to a water ocean or organics inside the little moon. By Dennis Overbye. The Cassini-Huygens project was a cooperative project between NASA and ESA (as well as the Italian Space Agency, ASI). Cassini will end its 20-year mission on Sept. PASADENA, Calif. jccook@jpl. The spacecraft will pass a mere 30 miles (49 kilometers) above the moon’s surface. 29 and 30, 2016. time zones) Cassini will release the wok-shaped Huygens probe on its journey toward Titan. Exoplanet Exploration Program. Cassini expanded our understanding of the kinds of worlds where life might exist. Eastern Daylight Time (0843 Universal Time) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a Titan IVB/Centaur launch system – the most powerful launch vehicle in the U. Carolina Martinez. A thrilling epoch in the exploration of our solar system came to a close today, as NASA's Cassini spacecraft made a fateful plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn, ending its 13-year tour of the ringed planet. 15, 2017, scientists are already dreaming of going back for further study. , March 12. The resolution is about 144 kilometers. S. NASA/JPL-Caltech/CSIRO. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system. Each of Cassini’s […] NASA's Cassini spacecraft has obtained new, detailed images of the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Images from NASA's Voyager mission fill the gaps in Cassini's coverage. JPL-Caltech/NASA, Space Science Institute The last flyby sealed Cassini’s fate. This finding opened our eyes to new possibilities for habitable environments on the mysterious moon. 15 1997, a seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn began with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Analysis: Why NASA’s Cassini probe had to be destroyed. nasa. With discoveries at Saturn’s moons Enceladus and Titan, Cassini and Huygens made exploring “ocean worlds” a major focus of planetary science. Game Changers. (click to enlarge) Launch Date: 15 October 1997. The disturbance visible at the outer edge of Saturn's A ring in this image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft results from gravitational effects on ring particles by an object that may be replaying the birth process of icy moons. NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the. 1. On its recent close flyby of Mimas, the Cassini spacecraft found the Saturnian moon looking battered and bruised, with a surface that may be the most heavily cratered in the Saturn system. The gap is now called the Cassini Division in his honor. Cassini's narrow-angle camera recorded this view on April 15, 2013. 8, 2017. With. like," said Dr. This latest report adds the detail of the rocky sea floor, which is significant because the contact. The Space Age arrives: Robots to the Moon. ET as the final messages from Cassini arrive on Earth. nasa. UTC (9:07 a. This graphic summarizes Cassini's 13 years orbiting Saturn, with moon flybys grouped into columns for each phase of the mission. RELEASE 13-370. 6 launch to begin its 6. Cassini–Huygens (/ k ə ˈ s iː n i ˈ h ɔɪ ɡ ən z / kə-SEE-nee HOY-gənz), commonly called Cassini, was a space-research mission by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to send a space probe to study the planet Saturn and its system, including its rings and natural satellites. Earthlings bid farewell to the Cassini spacecraft tonight as the Saturn-bound mission successfully completed a highly accurate pass of Earth at 8:28 p. preston. Although Titan and Enceladus are the most tantalizing of Saturn's moons, Cassini has revealed strange and marvelous facts about many of the gas giant's 62. The spacecraft flew directly through the plume at an altitude of 120 miles (200 kilometers). One of the most ambitious planetary projects ever attempted, Cassini-Huygens was managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Light from the Sun takes about 45 minutes to reach Europa. The Cassini spacecraft ferried the Huygens probe to Titan, Saturns largest moon, and released it for a dramatic descent to the lunar surface. 5 billion in pre-launch costs (including launch vehicle and contributions from ESA and the Italian Space Agency), and $1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The central longitude of the trailing. Christiaan Huygens first observed Saturn's largest moon Titan in 1655 and was the first to describe the extended moon-like features at Saturn as a disk of material sounding the planet. View of Saturn from Cassini, taken in March 2004, shortly before the spacecraft's orbital insertion in July 2004. After completing its primary mission, Cassini was repurposed to study Jupiter and its moons. 2 billion Cassini-Huygens mission — a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency — launched in October 1997 and arrived in the Saturn system on June 30. M. Researchers saw a large amount of squeezing and stretching as the moon orbited Saturn. Over a period of 13 years, Cassini has captured about 450,000 spectacular images within the Saturn system, providing new views of the “lord of the rings” and a plethora of. While Cassini remains at a respectful distance to avoid the planet's hazardous radiation belts, Galileo will loop around Jupiter on a highly elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit, passing close to Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, on 29 December. But […]A false-color image mosaic shows Daphnis, one of Saturn’s ring-embedded moons, and the waves it kicks up in the Keeler gap. EDT on October 13 from Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. Experience InSight. 19, at 9:49 a. 16, 2004. Complete transcript available. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system. Sept. View of Saturn from Cassini, taken in March 2004, shortly before the spacecraft's orbital insertion in July 2004. Visited by Pioneer 11. Titan may preserve in deep-freeze many chemical compounds that preceded life on Earth. m. Cassini was constantly moving, so it could lock onto a bright star and record how the star’s light changed as Saturn’s rings or an atmosphere intruded upon the instrument’s line of sight. C. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European and Italian Space Agencies. NASA's Cassini spacecraft has had its last close brush with Saturn's hazy moon Titan and is now beginning its final set of 22 orbits around the ringed planet. On September 11, at 12:04 p. All the. NASA. m. First, the Moon needs to be in the new moon phase, which is when the Moon’s orbit brings it between Earth and the Sun. 2005-129. 15, 2017, returning science data to the very end. nasa. The Cassini spacecraft is about to begin its great cosmic swan dive. Dynamic Moon! The. , Eastern Daylight Time, after two decades of flight and thirteen years of spectacular discovery around Saturn, and. NASA Science Editorial Team. It measured the structure of Saturn’s atmosphere and rings, as well as how they interact with the planet’s moons. These findings point to a very complex evolutionary history for Saturn's brightest, whitest satellite. 5-kilometer-per-second (about 12,000-mile-per-hour) boost in. The instruments on board Cassini included radar to map the cloud-covered surface of Titan and a magnetometer to study Saturn’s magnetic field. And so Cassini has met its end. The colorful globe of Titan passes in front of Saturn and its rings in this true-color snapshot from NASA's. S. May 17 – A slim crescent moon rises about an hour before the Sun, with Jupiter quite closeby, for much of the U. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called “Blood Moons” because of. 14, 1959, the Explorer 6 satellite took the first photograph of Earth from orbit, but the image lacked detail. During this encounter, Cassini will make its deepest-ever dive through the moon's. english. “IRTF and other facilities have provided direct support to the Cassini–Huygens mission and made it possible to link that data to decades’ worth of earlier and ongoing ground-based studies,” said IRTF director John Rayner. NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Spinnable maps of the. m. Cassini, meanwhile, shocked scientists with its discovery of massive plumes of water blasting from another Saturnian moon, Enceladus, which originate from a global, subsurface saltwater ocean that. At 6:31 A. This project was based on the meridian, or north-south line, on which the chief instrument of the Paris Observatory. The Grand Finale orbits appear as Saturn flybys in 2017. ENLARGE. The mission has been a major success. Europa Clipper will fly by the icy ocean moon dozens of. 15, 2017, returning science data to the very end. This true-color simulated view of Jupiter is composed of 4 images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on December 7, 2000. Jia-Rui Cook. Since arriving at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has used its Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) to study the ringed planet and its moons in heat radiation. View images from this item (1) This is an early scientific map of the moon and was produced in Paris by astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini. 26 billion Cassini-Huygens mission — a joint effort by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency — launched in 1997 and arrived at the Saturn system in 2004. Overview: Cassini at Titan Until the Cassini mission, little was known about Saturn’s largest moon Titan, save that it was a Mercury-sized world whose surface was veiled beneath a thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere. It was nearly 300 years later, in 1944, when Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper discovered one of the characteristics that makes Titan exceptional: this distant moon actually has an atmosphere. ORIGINAL CAPTION: Workers begin unloading the Cassini orbiter from a U. Download. Cassini revealed the dramatic truth: Enceladus is an active moon that hides a global ocean of liquid salty water beneath its crust. All of the eleven onboard instruments operated as expected and all data was acquired. 03. 28, during which Cassini will come dizzyingly close to the icy moon, passing a mere 30 miles (49 kilometers) above the moon's south polar region. nasa. First landing in the outer solar system. Scientists plan to use the data to create global maps of the cratered moon, and to determine Phoebe's composition, mass and density. Scrutinizing Titan's Surface. Cassini's primary mission concludes in July 2008. Dubbed Cassini’s “goodbye kiss” by NASA, Titan has been the subject of much scrutiny by the probe, with 127 flybys on its 13-year mission exploring the planetary system. Instrument data allowed Cassini scientists to determine that water and other material were jetting out of the moon’s surface at about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) per hour. Skip Navigation. 818-354-7013. The Cassini spacecraft looks between Saturn's A and B rings to spy structure in the Cassini Division. Cassini will carry an ESA- built probe to parachute to the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. What country launched the first satellite? January 31, 1958. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is providing scientists with key clues about Saturn’s moon Titan, and in particular, its hydrocarbon lakes and seas. Like ancient seafarers, the Cassini navigation team used the stars to help navigate. From 1671 to 1674, Giovanni Cassini discovered the moons lapetus, Rhea,. Over its 100-day lifespan, the rover will have a main goal to collect data for NASA to map out the moon's water resources. By Steven Siceloff, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Loaded with an array of powerful instruments and cameras, the spacecraft was capable of taking accurate measurements and detailed images in a variety of atmospheric conditions and light spectra. The mission is scheduled to end in September 2017. It was named for Giovanni Cassini, a 17th-century astronomer who was the first to observe four of Saturn's moons.