Cassini’s Grand Finale

Cassini, the NASA spacecraft whose breakthrough discoveries about Saturn and its many moons revolutionized the search for life beyond Earth, disintegrated Friday morning in the skies above the ringed planet.

They clapped, though they didn’t smile. But what did you expect?

Saturn is famous for its rings, but more than 60 moons orbit the planet as well.

After 13 years of observing Saturn, its rings and its myriad moons, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is less than three weeks away from a fiery, brutal end.

What do you do with a 20-year-old spacecraft that has spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, logged 4.1 billion miles in space and is about to run out of fuel?

Great news for Cassini fans: The NASA spacecraft sent word that it successfully completed its first pass through the uncharted territory between Saturn and its rings late Wednesday.

What lies in the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings?

One day our human descendants may be able to go sightseeing in the glorious Saturn system.

This motion graphic shows highlights of Cassini’s missions from 2004-2017.