The Grand Finale: Cassini Spacecraft's Last Chapter Ended With a Suicidal Plunge Into Saturn
Spacecraft remain the best lens with which humans have viewed the universe beyond Earth. These spacecraft are dedicated to increasing the knowledge of humans. One of the best examples is the Cassini–Huygens mission, which committed its entire 'life' to finding more about Saturn, according to IFL Science. Right until its final moments, the spacecraft continued to send insightful images of 'The Ringed Planet.' The mission's 'death' was conceptualized by the experts and called 'The Grand Finale.' The spacecraft used all of its fuel during this phase and then made a planned plunge into Saturn's unforgiving atmosphere.
Cassini Spacecraft
The Cassini Spacecraft was a joint endeavor of NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The mission's objective was to get data about Saturn, primarily about its moons and rings. Launched in 1997, Cassini carried a probe called Huygens, built by ESA, which was sent to Titan's surface, one of Saturn's moons, in 2005. It remains the most distant landing done by a spacecraft in the solar system. Its initial four-year mission was completed in 2008, and thereafter, it was given a two-mission extension, which lasted until 2017. During its flight, the mission helped astronomers learn about the global ocean in Enceladus, the liquid methane seas on Titan, and other crucial facts associated with Saturn.
The Grand Finale
Around two decades after its launch, experts decided to write the final chapter of Cassini's saga in April 2017, according to NASA. The chapter was fittingly named "The Grand Finale." The suicidal plunge into Saturn was selected as the way to go for the spacecraft because the experts did not want it to impact the moons in any way. The data gathered by the mission had made two moons, Titan and Enceladus, prime candidates for the role of possible habitats. Astronomers did not want it to interfere with any geological process and hence concluded that it should break apart in Saturn.
In its final course, it conducted 22 orbits, each covering an area between the planet and its rings. This final phase provided experts with unprecedented information about Saturn and its rings. No spacecraft had gone as close as Cassini managed to in its final moments, a feat that would assist experts with their analysis of the planet. Cassini continued to work until its last drop of fuel. On September 15, 2017, it made its final approach toward Saturn by basically jumping into it. Even during this plunge, Cassini continued to send data to Earth, as long as its thrusters kept the antenna pointed towards the home planet. Researchers don't know exactly how it met its end, but they believe it disintegrated as soon as it entered Saturn and then got fired up like a meteor.
Final Images sent by the Spacecraft
Cassini sent a series of images just before its final plunge into Saturn. There were six images featuring different aspects of Saturn and its moons. There were a far-off and a close-up picture of Enceladus and Titan, respectively. One of the images showcased a monochrome view of the site from where the spacecraft would enter Saturn. It was on the nightside of the Ringed Planet and was shining due to reflected light from the rings. Another image focused on a propeller, one of the phenomena created by small moonlets embedded in the planet's rings. An image also featured Daphnis, a small moon associated with Saturn. These could be considered some of the last 'glimpses' captured by the spacecraft, even though it continued to send back data through the antenna.