For 12 years, the Cassini spacecraft has observed and studied Saturn. Now, the spacecraft has only one year left before it plunges to its death on the surface of the ringed planet.
NASA has released a video of Cassini, celebrating its last year in space, where it monitored the atmosphere of Saturn for 44 hours or four Saturn days. The probe captured oval-shaped storm systems and Saturn's fainter inner rings including a jet stream from the planet's north pole region.
Arriving in the Saturn system in 2004, the probe will now complete its final tasks, which include exploring Saturn's F ring and conducting one last flyover of its largest moon, Titan.
According to Cassini project scientist, Linda Spilker of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this is like a whole new mission, as the F ring and the Grand Finale orbits are of great scientific value.
Mission engineers are now adjusting Cassini's orbit and position, to prepare for a suicide dive down Saturn's rings after completing its two final tasks. The spacecraft will make 20 orbits around the F ring and 22 plunges between its rings, beginning April 27 next year.
According to NASA JPL's Cassini project manager, Earl Maize, by using Saturn's gravity as a slingshot for Cassini to travel around the system, the spacecraft is now venturing into unexplored regions.
Cassini will dive down Saturn's atmosphere to obtain new data about the chemistry of the giant gas planted. Due to intense friction, the probe will most likely burn up in Saturn's atmosphere shortly after its final dive.