NASA ’s Cassini ballistic capsule has begun itsclose flybysof Saturn ’s rings , as it point towards the end of its mission next year .
The ballistic capsule dive through the plane of the outer ring yesterday , passing just 91,000 kilometers ( 57,000 miles ) from the planet – the close it has fare to Saturn ’s rings since its comer in 2004 .
This begins a series of 20 orbits that will take Cassini through the ring , each last about a week , which will give it an up - skinny vantage point of these banding of junk . The next toss , of the outer edges of the rings , is design for December 11 , continue until April 22 .
" It ’s taken years of provision , but now that we ’re in conclusion here , the whole Cassini team is worked up to begin study the data that add up from these ring - grazing scope , " said Linda Spilker , Cassini project scientist at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) , in astatement . " This is a singular time in what ’s already been a thrilling journeying . "
Cassini ’s current tintinnabulation - graze area ( grey ) , and next year ’s Grand Finale orbits ( blue ) , end with a dip into Saturn ( orange ) . NASA / JPL - Caltech
On this pass , Cassini grazed one of Saturn ’s swoon rings , formed by the moon Janus and Epimetheus , and passed 11,000 kilometers ( 6,800 ) from the combat-ready outer F closed chain . The spacecraft will employ its instruments to study the rings , and will even directly sample speck and gases nearby .
Although mental image from this upshot have n’t yet been unfreeze , NASA did treat us to two other rather fantastic images . One was of the sponger - like moon Hyperion , which has a chaotic orbit that can not be predicted . Cassini also hark back a antic image of Mimas in front of the gas behemoth .
These ring - grazing orbits will cease with a close flyby of Saturn ’s Sun Myung Moon Titan in April 2017 , which will then begin the mission ’s Grand Finale . This will begin with dives between the satellite and the innermost rings .
Cassini will ultimately souse into Saturn ’s aura on September 15 , 2017 , bringing to an remainder what has been a remarkable missionary post . The spacecraft will continue transfer datum until its concluding present moment .
