Missions to Saturn
| Mission |
Country |
Launch Date |
Arrival Date |
Type |
Encounter Characteristics |
|
| Pioneer 11 |
USA |
April 6, 1973 |
September 1, 1979 |
Flyby |
Transmitted low-resolution images and other data about Saturn.
Discovered additional rings and moons not previously known |
| Voyager 1 |
USA |
September 5, 1977 |
November 13, 1980 |
Flyby |
900 images of Saturn's moons
Major discoveries were the unexpected complexity of the rings and
the true nature of Titan's atmosphere. |
| Voyager 2 |
USA |
August 20, 1977 |
August 26, 1981 |
Flyby |
1150 images of Saturn's moons
Had a scan platform malfunction, yet virtually all objectives were
met. |
| Cassini |
USA, ESA, Italy |
October 13, 1997 |
July 1, 2004 |
Orbiter/Atmospheric probe |
12 science experiments will help scientists understand Saturn's moons, rings, atmosphere, and magnetosphere.
Huygens, an atmospheric probe carried aboard Cassini, will parachute through Titan's atmosphere. |
An Overview of Space Exploration
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The rare arrangement of planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in the 1980's made it possible for the Voyager spacecrafts to visit them over a 12 year span instead of the normal 30. They used gravity
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The Giant planets do not have the same layered structure that the terrestrial planets do. Their evolution was quite different than that of the terrestrial planets, and they have less solid material. Saturn's
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Many people like Saturn's rings. Although Saturn isn't the only planet with rings, it is the only planet famous for them. Almost every image or drawing of the planet has the rings included. But few people
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