The Cassini space probe was deliberately disposed of via a controlled fall into Saturn's atmosphere on September 15, 2017, ending its nearly two-decade-long mission. This method was chosen to prevent biological contamination of any of the moons of Saturn now thought to offer potentially habitable environments.
Why did they end Cassini?
What happened to NASA’s Cassini?
After a series of nearly two dozen nail-biting dives between the planet and its icy rings, Cassini plunged into Saturn's atmosphere on Sept. 15, 2017, returning science data to the very end.
When did the Cassini mission to Saturn end?
15 September 2017 Cassini–Huygens/End dates The final full view of Saturn from Cassini, on September 13, 2017. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI. September 15, 2017. On this date, the Cassini spacecraft plunged into the planet Saturn, becoming part of the planet it had been orbiting since 2004.
Is Cassini still orbiting Saturn?
Cassini Spacecraft Ends Its Historic Exploration of Saturn NASA's Cassini spacecraft made its final approach to Saturn and dove into the planet's atmosphere on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017.
Has Jupiter been explored?
Mankind has been studying Jupiter for more than 400 years. Nine spacecraft have visited Jupiter since 1973, and they've discovered a lot about the planet. …
Was Cassini successful?
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: After two decades in space, NASA's Cassini spacecraft reached the end of its remarkable journey of exploration. … The spacecraft contributed to studies of Jupiter for six months in 2000 before reaching its destination, Saturn, in 2004 and starting a string of flybys of Saturn's moons.
Will we ever land on Jupiter?
As a gas giant, Jupiter doesn't have a true surface. The planet is mostly swirling gases and liquids. While a spacecraft would have nowhere to land on Jupiter, it wouldn't be able to fly through unscathed either.
Has anyone been to the sun?
Outside mythology, no human has ever attempted to travel to the Sun. … The main reason is fairly obvious—it's too hot. Even in a well-protected spacecraft, you could only get within about 2 million kilometres (1,300,000 mi) before burning up.
How did Neil Armstrong get on the moon?
The Eagle has landed The Eagle lunar module had a descent rocket engine to slow it down, drop into a lower orbit and then hover over the surface. Guided by a landing radar, Armstrong piloted Eagle semi-manually using four clusters of rockets to finally touchdown in the Sea of Tranquillity on 20 July 1969.