This picture shows what Cassini might look like near Saturn. Can you spot the blue flame of Cassini's small rocket engine?
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy NASA/JPL.
Cassini arrives at Saturn
News story originally written on June 30, 2004
A robot spaceship is about to get to Saturn. The spaceship is named Cassini.
Cassini is moving fast because it had a long
way to travel to get to Saturn.
Cassini will fire its rocket engine for 96 minutes on June 30, 2004. That will
slow
the spacecraft down. Then it will start to orbit Saturn.
Cassini will study Saturn, Saturn's rings,
and Saturn's
moons. It will study
them for at least four years. It has 12 instruments that it will use to collect
data and take pictures.
Cassini is also carrying a second, smaller spacecraft. That spacecraft is
named Huygens. Huygens will land on Saturn's largest moon, Titan,
in January 2005.
Cassini will fly very close to Saturn when it fires its engine and slows down.
It will be the closest Cassini ever gets to Saturn. Cassini should get some
great pictures of the planet! Cassini will also fly right through a gap
in Saturn's rings!
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