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cassini

NASA's Cassini probe has been studying Saturn and its moons since 2005, and information technology's almost fourth dimension for the spacecraft to telephone call information technology a day. The probe is running depression on fuel, but scientists intend to get the most out of Cassini before it's no longer capable of doing science. Earlier this year, mission managers at NASA'due south Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) kicked off the 1000 Finale, which will eventually send Cassini spiraling into the clouds of Saturn. We're near to get a piddling preview of that event as Cassini'due south most recent dive at the gas giant sent information technology through the upper atmosphere, by far the closest it'south e'er been to the planet.

Cassini has dropped into a lower orbit than its other recent passes, which were aimed every bit the gap betwixt the innermost ring and the planet's atmosphere. This is the first of five ultra-shut orbits, which will somewhen end in the satellite falling into the clouds, never to be seen again. The satellite skimmed just 1,600km (1,000 miles) above the cloud tops in the early on morning Mon (GMT), giving information technology a taste of Saturn'south atmosphere.

Scientists believe about 75 pct of Saturn's mass is hydrogen, with most of the remainder helium. Saturn is known to radiate more energy than it absorbs from the sun, so there'south a net loss of gravitational energy. Getting a more accurate measurement of gases in Saturn's upper atmosphere by flying through it could help meliorate measurements of the planet's inner composition. The information could also assist to pin downwards the exact length of Saturn's day.

In each successive laissez passer, drag will pull Cassini further downwardly into Saturn'southward gravity well. That means it will need to run its thrusters to maintain a stable trajectory. When the data from its nigh recent pass is analyzed, JPL mission managers believe they will have the necessary data to send the probe lower on its next iv orbits.

On September 15th, NASA expects the probe to crash into the atmosphere. For the time being, Cassini is still alive and sending back images. Notwithstanding, we'll accept to wait another day or two for the latest images to be sent back, every bit the probe makes another loop around the planet and gets its antenna oriented at Earth. The plan for Cassini's final dive is to utilise what little fuel is left at that time to continue the antenna pointed at Earth for as long as possible. Hopefully, nosotros'll continue receiving information from the spacecraft correct upwards until the end. Not only does this get u.s. more than data, but it also ensures that Cassini doesn't ane mean solar day crash-land on a moon like Enceladus, which some speculate could be home to microbial life.