Cassini puts a ‘ring’ on it

POLOKWANE – If you’ve been on Google today, that means you’ve probably seen the Google Doodle.

Today’s doodle is about the Cassini spacecraft that dives between Saturn’s rings.

Between April and September 2017, Cassini will undertake a daring set of orbits that is, in many ways, like a whole new mission. Following a final close flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan, Cassini will leap over the planet’s icy rings and begin a series of 22 weekly dives between the planet and the rings.

Cassini–Huygens is an unmanned spacecraft that was sent to Saturn in 1997 and the fourth space probe to visit Saturn. It is also the first to enter Saturn’s orbit.

Cassini completed the first crossing of the ring plane in the early hours of  Wednesday (26 April) morning, NASS said in a statement.

According to reports, the craft will achieve a top speed of over 123 597 km per hour in relation to the planet while gracing Saturn’s upper atmosphere a number of times.

It’s life will end on 15 September with its final dive as the satellite will cruise straight into Saturn’s atmosphere. The friction is expected to tear the craft to pieces, incinerating it even as it sends back its very last messages to Earth.

Cassini is expected to be out of contact for about a day after this first dive while it takes detailed observations of Saturn and the ring gap, NASA officials said.

Cool, isn’t it?

maretha@nmgroup.co.za