Introduction

For more than a decade, NASAs Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moonstaking us to astounding worlds where methane rivers run to a methane sea and where jets of ice and gas are blasting material into space from a liquid water ocean that might harbor the ingredients for life.

Cassini revealed in great detail the true wonders of Saturn, a giant world ruled by raging storms and delicate harmonies of gravity.

Cassini carried a passenger to the Saturn system, the European Huygens probethe first human-made object to land on a world in the distant outer solar system.

After 20 years in space 13 of those years exploring Saturn Cassini exhausted its fuel supply. And so, to protect moons of Saturn that could have conditions suitable for life, Cassini was sent on a daring final mission that would seal its fate. After a series of nearly two dozen nail-biting dives between the planet and its icy rings, Cassini plunged into Saturns atmosphere on Sept. 15, 2017, returning science data to the very end.

10 Ways Cassini Mattered

10 Ways Cassini Mattered

1

Cassini-Huygens was a mission of firsts. First to orbit Saturn. First landing in the outer solar system. First to sample an extraterrestrial ocean.

2

Cassini expanded our understanding of the kinds of worlds where life might exist.

3

Cassini-Huygens revealed Titan to be one of the most Earth-like worlds weve encountered and shed light on the history of our home planet.

4

Cassini was, in a sense, a time machine. It revealed the processes that likely shaped the development of our solar system.

5

Cassinis long mission enabled us to observe weather and seasonal changes on another planet.

6

Cassini revealed Saturns moons to be unique worlds with their own stories to tell.

7

Cassini showed us the complexity of Saturns rings and the dramatic processes operating within them.

8

What Cassini found at Saturn prompted scientists to rethink their understanding of the solar system.

9

Cassini represented a staggering achievement of human and technical complexity, finding innovative ways to use the spacecraft.

10

Cassini revealed the beauty of Saturn, its rings and moons, inspiring our sense of wonder.

Notable Explorers

Xianzhe Jia

Scientist

Cassini is such a fantastic mission. It not only acquired a wealth of data that led to numerous discoveries, but also raised a new generation of planetary scientists, including myself.

Todd J. Barber

Propulsion Engineer

I think making tons of money is overrated if you're not actively psyched about what you get to do all day. Passion drives me, it fuels me, and it's what matters most to me.

Sarah Milkovich

Planetary Geologist and Science Systems Engineer

"Be curious about everything -- take every opportunity that presents itself to learn new things."

Rosaly Lopes

Planetary Scientist

"Study hard and do what you love, then it doesn't feel like work."

Robert Mitchell

Retired Program Manager

"The Ranger missions looked a lot more exciting to me than what I was doing at the time, and so I sent my resume off to JPL. I've been here ever since."

Robert (Bob) Pappalardo

Scientist

The most exciting moments are the 'aha moments' when a scientific problem that you've been wrestling with suddenly falls into place and begins to make sense.

Richard "Rick" Grammier (1955 - 2011)

Former Director for Solar System Exploration

"His spirit will continue to inspire us as we continue our quest to understand the Universe."

Rachel Mastrapa

Research Scientist

"Science and math are part natural gifts and part practice. You don't have to be a genius to be successful."

Phillips Davis

Website Editor/Curator

"Ask lots of questions. Be persistent. And never stop exploring your options."

Morgan Cable

Scientist

If you are doing something that makes you happy, you will work hard at it and you will be successful.

Michele Dougherty

Principal Investigator

"There will be times when you don't think you are doing the right thing, but don't make any hasty decisions. Just hang on in there."

Michael Staab

Mission Operations Engineer

"STEM is, by far, the coolest field to get into. We fly spacecraft around other planets; how much better can it get?"

Kathleen Mandt

Planetary Scientist

Julie Castillo-Rogez

Planetary Geophysicist

"My first personal connection with outer space occurred during the arrival of Voyager 2 at Neptune."

Jonathan Lunine

Scientist

No human had ever seen this landscape before. And for a period of maybe 20 minutes, half hour, we were the only ones to see this alien world.

Joan Stupik

Engineer

I'm really excited to be a part of the spacecraft that will be learning about a place where scientists think there could be some form of life.

Jeffrey Cuzzi

Research Scientist

"Stay close to subjects that fascinate you personally, but also ask why is the subject important."

Hunter Waite

Scientist

Get lots of good chemistry, physics and math background in college.

Elizabeth "Zibi" Turtle

Scientist

Just because it isn't always easy doesn't mean you can't do it and do it well.

David Doody

Flight Operations Lead Engineer

"To be able now to work on projects that are flying to the planets has been really a dream."

Curt Niebur

Program Scientist

Having a dream is a must. Having a plan is an excellent idea, but you also have to be willing to jump at unexpected opportunities.

Claudia Alexander (1959-2015)

Scientist

"Science and math are fascinating and fundamental. They require as much discipline as an athlete working to be a football player, or a musician attempting to land a recording contract."

Catherine Neish

Assistant Professor

Candice Hansen

Scientist

Study lots of math. Math is the language of science.

Brent Buffington

Engineer

Excerpt from:

Overview | Cassini NASA Solar System Exploration