April 28 2017

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Cassini phones home after dive between Saturn and rings

Steve Jacobs
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Cassini dives through Saturn's rings

After the first-ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings, NASA's Cassini spacecraft transmits pictures back to mission control. Vision: NASA.

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Cassini dives through Saturn's rings

After the first-ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings, NASA's Cassini spacecraft transmits pictures back to mission control. Vision: NASA.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has made a historic descent through a gap between Saturn and its rings, NASA says.

As it dived through, Cassini came within about 3000 kilometres of Saturn's cloud tops and within about 300 kilometres of the innermost visible edge of the rings, NASA said.

The gap between the rings and the top of Saturn's atmosphere is about 2000 kilometres.

The spacecraft is beaming back data via NASA's Deep Space Network Goldstone Complex in California's Mojave Desert.

The Deep Space Network made contact with Cassini at 11.56pm Pacific Daylight Time on Wednesday (4.56pm on Thursday, AEST). Data began flowing back at 12.01am PDT on Thursday.

NASA has already received some spectacular images.

Our closest look ever at #Saturn’s atmosphere and giant hurricane. #GrandFinale https://t.co/giL0pulIEW pic.twitter.com/Qi3T2wSzc1
— CassiniSaturn (@CassiniSaturn) April 27, 2017

The agency was confident that Cassini would pass through the gap successfully, but mission managers but took extra precautions as even the smallest ring particle could have disabled the spacecraft.

As a protective measure, Cassini used its dish-shaped antenna, which is four metres wide, as a shield, orienting it in the direction of oncoming particles. This meant that it was out of contact with Earth during the descent.

Nominal. Such a beautiful word. Data are flowing back to Earth, over a ~billion miles, a trip that takes 78 minutes. https://t.co/d5YlRHJbPq pic.twitter.com/FG6uG0h8tP
— CassiniSaturn (@CassiniSaturn) April 27, 2017

"No spacecraft has ever been this close to Saturn before," Cassini project manager Earl Maize of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, was quoted by the agency as saying.

"We could only rely on predictions, based on our experience with Saturn's other rings, of what we thought this gap between the rings and Saturn would be like.

"I am delighted to report that Cassini shot through the gap just as we planned and has come out the other side in excellent shape."

The gap between Saturn and its rings is no longer unexplored space – and we're going back 21 times. #GrandFinale! https://t.co/TSA7uQe4KS pic.twitter.com/t9RlhEsWCP
— CassiniSaturn (@CassiniSaturn) April 27, 2017

Cassini's next dive through the gap is scheduled for May 2.

Cassini, which was launched in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004. It is now embarking on what mission planners are calling its "grand finale". It will make 22 dives, about one a week, between the rings and the planet.

It will plunge into Saturn's atmosphere on its final dive on September 15.

There’s a lot of science planned to come in our #GrandFinale. Check out some teachable moments for students: https://t.co/rCWWeo4eK7 pic.twitter.com/5JGzELIqWS
— CassiniSaturn (@CassiniSaturn) April 27, 2017

#DSS43 looking awesome under the stars and receiving @CassiniSaturn #GrandFinale #dive1 data.
🌎📡〰〰〰〰〰〰📞🛰🔘 https://t.co/221SUvuiUg
— CanberraDSN (@CanberraDSN) April 27, 2017