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(Soaring music)
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A lone explorer
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on a mission to reveal
the grandeur of Saturn,
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its rings and moons.
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After 20 years in space
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NASA's Cassini spacecraft
is running out of fuel.
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And so, to protect moons of Saturn
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that could have conditions
suitable for life,
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a spectacular end has been planned
for this long-lived traveler from Earth.
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[Cassini's Grand Finale]
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5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
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(Rockets roar)
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And liftoff of the Cassini spacecraft
on a billion-mile trek to Saturn.
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We have cleared the tower.
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(Mission audio)
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In 2004, following a 7-year journey
through the solar system,
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Cassini arrived at Saturn.
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(Mission audio)
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[June 30, 2004 Saturn Orbit Insertion]
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The spacecraft carried a passenger,
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the European Huygens probe --
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the first human-made object
to land on a world
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in the distant outer solar system.
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[January 14, 2005
Huygens Probe landing on Titan]
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For over a decade,
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Cassini has shared the wonders of Saturn
and its family of icy moons,
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taking us to astounding worlds
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where methane rivers run
to a methane sea.
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Where jets of ice and gas
are blasting material into space
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from a liquid water ocean that might
harbor the ingredients for life.
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(Mission audio)
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And Saturn --
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a giant world ruled by raging storms
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and delicate harmonies of gravity.
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Now, Cassini has one last,
daring assignment.
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[April 26, 2017]
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[The grand finale begins]
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Cassini's Grand Finale
is a brand new adventure.
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Twenty-two dives through the space
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between Saturn and its rings.
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As it repeatedly braves
this unexplored region,
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Cassini seeks new insights
about the origins of the rings,
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and the nature of the planet's interior --
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closer to Saturn than ever before.
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On the final orbit,
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Cassini will plunge into Saturn
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fighting to keep its antenna
pointed at Earth
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as it transmits its farewell.
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In the skies of Saturn,
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the journey ends,
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as Cassini becomes
part of the planet itself.
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[September 15, 2017]
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[End of mission]
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[NASA]
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[Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology]
