New Delhi: NASA has finally bid adieu to the Cassini spacecraft after 13-long years of Saturn exploration.


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The spacecraft self-destructed on  Friday, September 15, 2017 - 20 years after its launch in the year 1997.


NASA team behind the scenes at the JPL headquarters were seen teary-eyed as the spacecraft was performing its final plunge.



Cassini spacecraft never failed to deliver what was expected of it.


Cassini's aim of investigating Saturn was truly a fruitful one, owing to all the amazingly informative insights into the evolution and structure of the ringed planet.


The 20-year-old spacecraft had been investigating the ringed planet for 13 long years and NASA finally bid goodbye to it.



 


As it happened:


  • Cassini self-destructs, end of mission confirmed. 
  • Atmospheric forces overwhelm the thrusters' capacity to maintain control of the spacecraft's orientation, and the high-gain antenna loses its lock on Earth. Cassini loses signal.
  • Cassini's thrusters are at 100 percent of capacity. 
  • Cassini enters Saturn atmosphere.
  • 2-minute countdown begins.
  • Mission engineers struggle to control Cassini's antennae and keep it pointed towards Earth as the spacecraft hurtles towards its end.
  • All parameters of Cassini confirmed nominal.
  • What's next after Cassini? Mission officer explains.
  • 10 minutes left before Cassini loses connection with Earth.
  • 26 minutes to the end of mission announced.
  • Team members who were a part of the mission when Cassini was launched in 1997, get nostalgic, talk about the 20-year epic journey.
  • Cassini to send data to NASA till its final moments.
  • Cassini enters Saturn's atmosphere. Its thrusters fire at 10 percent of their capacity to maintain directional stability, enabling the spacecraft's high-gain antenna to remain pointed at Earth and allowing continued transmission of data.
  • The "final plunge" begins. The spacecraft starts a 5-minute roll to position INMS for optimal sampling of the atmosphere, transmitting data in near real time from now to end of mission.