Mission's end

15 September 2017
The international Cassini mission has concluded its remarkable exploration of the Saturnian system in spectacular style, by plunging into the gas planet’s atmosphere.

Confirmation of the end of mission arrived at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at 11:55 GMT/13:55 CEST with the loss of the spacecraft’s signal having occurred 83 minutes earlier at Saturn, some 1.4 billion km from Earth.

With the rocket propellant for manoeuvering the spacecraft fully expended as planned touring Saturn and its moons for the last 13 years, the mission concluded with the intentional plunge into the gas planet. This ensures that Saturn’s icy moons, in particular ocean-bearing Enceladus, do not risk being contaminated by microbes that might have remained on board the spacecraft from Earth, and are left pristine for future exploration.

Ocean Moon Enceladus Setting Behind Saturn | NASA Cassini Mission