Cassini\u2019s flagship mission to the ringed planet Saturn ended over a year ago, but data from the craft\u2019s Grand Finale tour of the Saturnian system continues to allow scientists to unlock the mysteries surrounding the sixth planet in our solar system.<\/p>\n
Among the discoveries after the end of Cassini\u2019s mission include a firm understanding of the planet\u2019s rotational period, the the age of the planet\u2019s iconic rings, observations of dust storms on its moon Titan, and numerous other scientific revelations. <\/p>\n
Grand Finale science returns:<\/b><\/p>\n
Cassini\u2019s remarkable tenure at Saturn came to an end on 15 September 2017 after numerous mission extensions and scientific returns that scientists could only have dreamed of before the craft\u2019s launch nearly 20 years prior on 15 October 1997. <\/p>\n
In an effort to execute planetary protection to ensure Cassini did not accidentally contaminate one of the potentially life harboring moons of Saturn, the craft was plunged into the ringed planet\u2019s atmosphere for a destructive entry after a final set of 22 close orbits of the planet that constituted the mission\u2019s Grand Finale. <\/p>\n
Knowing this was the end, Cassini scientists did something with their craft that no spacecraft had done before; they flew Cassini through the rings of Saturn and into Saturn\u2019s upper atmosphere multiple times.<\/p>\n
The daring nature of the Grand Finale paid off handsomely, with a host of returns not possible during the craft\u2019s more stable orbits of the planet in the years prior. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n