Cassini’s final plunge: a controlled Saturn dive to protect Saturn’s moons

NASA ended Cassini’s 13-year Saturn mission by steering the spacecraft into Saturn in 2017 to prevent any chance of contaminating Enceladus or Titan as fuel ran low. In its last 90 seconds, Cassini’s thrusters fought against Saturn’s tenuous upper atmosphere to keep its antenna aimed at Earth, transmitting real-time data on the planet’s atmosphere, magnetic field, and surrounding environment. The dive secured crucial science while ensuring the moons’ environments remained pristine, a decision that also highlighted the value of planetary protection for future missions.