Cassini spacecraft is history now. Any thoughts?

It is pretty crazy that they sent the thing out there and then it was running out of gas so they sent it back to earth to slingshot around to pick up speed again. And it appears they did it with other bodies a lot of other times.

https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/gravity-assists/

I find the math of this bonkers. 99% of people can’t manage their checkbooks.

Bravo NASA!

It’s a little sad but Cassini was the agent of its own destruction. It discovered that Enceladus, one of the moons of Saturn, contained a saltwater ocean that might support life. Rather than risk contaminating a pristine world it was decided that Cassini should be crashed into the planet Saturn.

I am more touched by Rosetta and Philae hurtling together, silently, through the eternal dark void.

I have no words, technology of that order has always been amazing to me. What a journey, huh?

Yeah.. Kudos to all who had something to do with it over such a long period of time!!

20+ years ago was working in LA. I worked with a technician whose dad worked on Cassini. That was a long time ago! I had a 486 computer, and I didn’t even have a digital camera at the time.