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As I write this, the countdown shows that it's less than two days until the Cassini mission's dramatic end.

Here is a short video explaining the Grand Finale that Cassini has been undertaking. It has been closer to the planet than ever before and collecting some superb data.

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Mission scientists predict loss of contact with the Cassini spacecraft on September 15 at 7:55 a.m. EDT (11:55 UTC). Click to learn how to follow the mission’s fiery end online.

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Edited report from the BBC:

The American-led Cassini space mission to Saturn has just come to a spectacular end. Controllers had commanded the probe to destroy itself by plunging into the planet's atmosphere.

Cassini had run out of fuel and Nasa had determined that the probe should not be allowed to simply wander uncontrolled among Saturn and its moons.

The loss of signal from the spacecraft occurred right on cue. Here at mission control, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, this drop-off was timed at 05:55 PDT (11:55 GMT). The loss of signal indicated that the probe was tumbling wildly in the planet's gases. It could have survived the violence for no more than about 45 seconds before being torn to pieces.

NASA's Earl Maize addressed fellow controllers: "Congratulations to you all. This has been an incredible mission, an incredible spacecraft and you're all an incredible team. I'm going to call this end of mission. Project manager off the net."

The statement brought restrained applause and some comforting embraces.


Image copyright AFP

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Cassini's amazing mission has now ended. But three days before plunging into the planet, it took lots of pictures of Saturn and its rings. Here is Cassini's Last Ring Portrait. A clever citizen scientist used 36 of the images Cassini took to form this superb farewell portrait.
Quote:
The Sun is just above the frame, causing Saturn to cast a dark shadow onto its enormous rings. This shadow position cannot be imaged from Earth and will not be visible again until another Earth-launched spaceship visits the ringed giant.

Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Space Science Institute, Mindaugas Macijauskas

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