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[Blogs](https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-blogs/) - [Newsletters](https://www.nasa.gov/newsletters/) - [Social Media](https://www.nasa.gov/socialmedia/) - [Media Resources](https://www.nasa.gov/news/nasa-media-contacts/) [Multimedia](https://science.nasa.gov/multimedia/) - [Images](https://www.nasa.gov/images/) - [Videos on NASA+](https://www.nasa.gov/plus/) - [Interactives](https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-interactive-features/) - [NASA Apps](https://www.nasa.gov/apps/) - [Podcasts](https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/) - [e-Books](https://www.nasa.gov/ebooks/) - [STEM Multimedia](https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/search/?terms=8058%2C8059%2C8061%2C8062%2C8068) ### Highlights [ 12 min read NASA Answers Your Most Pressing Artemis II Questions article 6 days ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/nasa-answers-your-most-pressing-artemis-ii-questions/) [ 11 min read NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Daily Agenda article 4 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/nasas-artemis-ii-moon-mission-daily-agenda/) [ 3 min read Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in Real Time article 1 month ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/track-nasas-artemis-ii-mission-in-real-time/) ### Highlights [ 12 min read NASA Answers Your Most Pressing Artemis II Questions article 6 days ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/nasa-answers-your-most-pressing-artemis-ii-questions/) [ 1 min read Artemis II Podcast Series article 2 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/artemispodcast/) [ 7 min read NASA Releases Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Countdown article 2 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-releases-artemis-ii-moon-mission-launch-countdown/) ### Highlights [ 2 min read Earthset From the Lunar Far Side article 18 hours ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earthset-from-the-lunar-far-side/) [ 2 min read Snow in the Shadow of the Andes article 2 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-in-the-shadow-of-the-andes/) [ 4 min read A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth Lakes article 3 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-volcanic-medley-near-mammoth-lakes/) ### Highlights [ 4 min read Solar System Bibliography article 2 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/solar-system-bibliography/) [ 3 min read Twin NASA Control Rooms Support Artemis Safety, Success article 2 days ago](https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/artemis-campaign-development-division/human-landing-system-program/twin-nasa-control-rooms-support-artemis-safety-success/) [ 4 min read A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth Lakes article 3 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-volcanic-medley-near-mammoth-lakes/) ### Highlights [ 6 min read NASA Webb, Hubble Share Most Comprehensive View of Saturn to Date article 2 weeks ago](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-hubble-share-most-comprehensive-view-of-saturn-to-date/) [ 5 min read NASA-JAXA’s XRISM Telescope Clocks Hot Wind of Galaxy M82 article 2 weeks ago](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/xrism/nasa-jaxas-xrism-telescope-clocks-hot-wind-of-galaxy-m82/) [ 4 min read NASA’s Hubble Revisits Crab Nebula to Track 25 Years of Expansion article 3 weeks ago](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-revisits-crab-nebula-to-track-25-years-of-expansion/) ### Highlights [ 2 min read Snow in the Shadow of the Andes article 2 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-in-the-shadow-of-the-andes/) [ 4 min read Solar System Bibliography article 2 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/solar-system-bibliography/) [ 4 min read A Volcanic Medley Near Mammoth Lakes article 3 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-volcanic-medley-near-mammoth-lakes/) ### Highlights [ 4 min read NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition article 2 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-selects-finalists-in-student-aircraft-maintenance-competition/) [ 2 min read NASA’s X-59 Experimental Supersonic Aircraft Makes Second Flight article 3 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/quesst/nasas-x-59-experimental-supersonic-aircraft-makes-second-flight/) [ 2 min read NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment article 3 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/artemis-sls-launch-sim/) ### Highlights [ 2 min read Snow in the Shadow of the Andes article 2 days ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-in-the-shadow-of-the-andes/) [ 3 min read Fires Tear Through Nebraska Grasslands article 2 weeks ago](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/fires-tear-through-nebraska-grasslands/) [ 3 min read I Am Artemis: Erik Richards article 2 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/i-am-artemis/i-am-artemis-erik-richards/) ### Highlights [ 1 min read Join the Artemis Mission to the Moon article 5 months ago](https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/join-artemis/) ### Highlights [ 4 min read Preparing for Artemis II: Training for a Mission Around the Moon article 2 months ago](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/preparing-for-artemis-ii-training-for-a-mission-around-the-moon/) [ 5 min read Meet NASA’s New Artemis II Science Officers article 1 week ago](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/meet-nasas-new-artemis-ii-science-officers/) [ 3 min read Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew article 4 months ago](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/kennedy/get-in-were-going-to-the-moon-meet-nasas-artemis-closeout-crew/) ### Highlights [ 11 min read La NASA anuncia la cobertura de la misión lunar Artemis II article 2 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/es/la-nasa-anuncia-la-cobertura-de-la-mision-lunar-artemis-ii/) [ 15 min read Agenda diaria de la misión a la Luna de Artemis II de la NASA article 4 weeks ago](https://www.nasa.gov/es/agenda-diaria-de-la-mision-a-la-luna-de-artemis-ii-de-la-nasa/) [ 6 min read La NASA refuerza Artemis: añade una misión y perfecciona su arquitectura general article 1 month ago](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/la-nasa-refuerza-artemis-anade-una-mision-y-perfecciona-su-arquitectura-general/) Explore This Section - [Cassini Home](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/) - Overview - [Why Cassini Mattered](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/grand-finale/why-cassini-mattered/) - [Timeline](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/cassini-mission-timeline/) - [Quick Facts](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/cassini-quick-facts/) - Science - [Overview](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/overview/) - [Rings](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/rings/) - [Titan](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/titan/) - [Enceladus](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/enceladus/) - [Moons](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/moons/) - [Magnetosphere](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/magnetosphere/) - Mission - [About the Mission](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/about-the-mission/) - [Spacecraft](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/spacecraft/cassini-orbiter/) - [The Grand Finale](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/grand-finale/overview/) - [The Team](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/team/) - [Top 10s](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/top-tens/) - [Saturn Tour](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/tour/) - [FAQ](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/faq/) - Multimedia - [All Multimedia](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia) - [Audio](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/audio/?types=audio) - [Featured Raw Images](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/featured-raw-images/) - [Graphics](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/graphics/?types=graphics) - [Hall of Fame](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/hall-of-fame/?topics=hall+of+fame) - [Images](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/?types=images) - [Videos](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/multimedia/videos/?types=videos) # Cassini-Huygens Occurred 9 years ago For more than a decade, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moons. It took us to astounding worlds where methane rivers run to a methane sea and where jets of ice and gas are blasting material into space from a liquid water ocean that might harbor the ingredients for life. Type Orbiter, Probe Launch Oct. 15, 1997 Target The Saturn System status Successful ## Cassini Stories [Explore All Cassini Stories](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/stories/) [Article 6 Min Read NASA Study Suggests Saturn’s Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean ](https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/planets/saturn/saturn-moons/titan/nasa-study-suggests-saturns-moon-titan-may-not-have-global-ocean/) [Article 4 Min Read NASA Cassini Study Finds Organics ‘Fresh’ From Ocean of Enceladus ](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/nasa-cassini-study-finds-organics-fresh-from-ocean-of-enceladus/) [Image Article 2 Min Read The Day Earth Smiled ](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/the-day-earth-smiled/) [Image Article 2 Min Read Cassini Sees Saturn ](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/cassini-sees-saturn/) [ 5 Min Read NASA Study Finds Life-Sparking Energy Source and Molecule at Enceladus Article](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/nasa-study-finds-life-sparking-energy-source-and-molecule-at-enceladus/) [ 1 Min Read Cassini Top 10 Images of 2011 Article](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/cassini-top-10-images-of-2011/) [ 1 Min Read Cassini Top 10 Images of 2012 Article](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/cassini-top-10-images-of-2012/) [ 1 Min Read Cassini Top 10 Images of 2013 Article](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/cassini-top-10-images-of-2013/) ## Timeline Unable to render the provided source Re-fly the Cassini mission from Earth in 1997 to it spectacular end at Saturn in 2015. NASA/JPL-Caltech/VTAD - Mission - Science - The Grand Finale ## Mission to Saturn For more than a decade, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn, its spectacular rings, and its family of icy moons. Cassini was a sophisticated robotic spacecraft sent to study Saturn and its complex system of rings and moons in unprecedented detail. It was one of the most ambitious efforts ever mounted in planetary exploration. [Read More](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/about-the-mission/)  With this view, Cassini captured one of its last looks at Saturn and its main rings from a distance. The Saturn system was Cassini's home for 13 years. This view was acquired at a distance of approximately 870,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers) from Saturn. Image scale is 50 miles (80 kilometers) per pixel. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute ## Science at Saturn Before Cassini, we had only brief glimpses of the discoveries awaiting us at Saturn. Cassini changed all that. It began the first in-depth, up-close study of Saturn and its system of rings and moons in 2004. It became the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, beginning a mission that yielded troves of new insights over more than a decade. The Saturnian system proved to be rich ground for exploration and discoveries, and Cassini's science findings changed the course of future planetary exploration. [Read More](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/overview/)  Dramatic plumes, both large and small, spray water ice and vapor from many locations along the famed "tiger stripes" near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute ## Cassini's Spectacular End After two decades in space, NASA's Cassini spacecraft ended its remarkable journey of exploration. Having expended almost every bit of the rocket propellant it carried to Saturn, operators deliberately plunged Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn's moons remain pristine for future exploration—in particular, the ice-covered, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus, but also Titan, with its intriguing pre-biotic chemistry. [Read More](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/grand-finale/overview/)  A commemorative retro poster created for Cassini's Grand Finale. NASA/JPL-Caltech ## Backlit Saturn On July 19, 2013, in an event celebrated the world over, NASA's Cassini spacecraft slipped into Saturn's shadow and turned to image the planet, seven of its moons, its inner rings -- and, in the background, our home planet, Earth. [Learn More about Backlit Saturn](https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-day-the-earth-smiled-annotated/)  ## Lessons Learned Before the mission ended, Cassini was already a powerful influence on future exploration. In revealing that Enceladus has essentially all the ingredients needed for life, the mission energized a pivot to the exploration of "ocean worlds" that has been sweeping planetary science over the past couple of decades. Lessons learned during Cassini's mission are being applied in planning NASA's [Europa Clipper](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/) mission, planned for launch in October 2024. Europa Clipper will make dozens of flybys of Jupiter's icy moon to determine whether there are places below the surface that could support life. The mission uses an orbital tour design derived from the way Cassini explored Saturn. Farther out in the solar system, scientists have long had their eyes set on exploring Uranus and Neptune. So far, each of these worlds has been visited by only one brief spacecraft flyby (Voyager 2, in 1986 and 1989, respectively). Collectively, Uranus and Neptune are referred to as ice giant planets. A variety of potential mission concepts are discussed. Future missions to the ice giants might explore those worlds using an approach similar to Cassini's mission. Keep Exploring ## Discover More Topics From NASA [Saturn ](https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/) [Titan ](https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/titan/) [Enceladus ](https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/enceladus/) [Our Solar System ](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/overview/)  ### National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. - [About NASA's Mission](https://www.nasa.gov/about/) [Join Us](https://www.nasa.gov/get-involved/) - [Home](https://www.nasa.gov/) - [News & Events](https://www.nasa.gov/news/) - [Multimedia](https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/) - [NASA+](https://plus.nasa.gov/) - [Missions](https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-missions/) - [Humans in Space](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/) - [Earth](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/) - [The Solar System](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/) - [The Universe](https://science.nasa.gov/universe/) - [Science](https://science.nasa.gov/) - [Aeronautics](https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/) - [Technology](https://www.nasa.gov/technology/) - [Learning Resources](https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/) - [About NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/about/) - [NASA en Español](https://www.nasa.gov/es/) ### Follow NASA - [More NASA Social Accounts](https://www.nasa.gov/social-media/) - [NASA Newsletters](https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-newsletters/) - [Sitemap](https://www.nasa.gov/sitemap/) - [For Media](https://www.nasa.gov/news/nasa-media-contacts/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-web-privacy-policy-and-important-notices/) - [FOIA](https://www.nasa.gov/foia/) - [No FEAR Act](https://www.nasa.gov/no-fear-act/) - [Office of the IG](http://oig.nasa.gov/) - [Budget & Annual Reports](https://www.nasa.gov/budgets-plans-and-reports/) - [Agency Financial Reports](https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/budget-annual-reports/agency-financial-reports/) - [Contact NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/contact-nasa/) - [Accessibility](https://www.nasa.gov/accessibility/) - Page Last Updated: Nov 05, 2024 - Page Editor: Alicia Cermak - Responsible NASA Official for Science: Diana Logreira ×

## Timeline Mission to Saturn For more than a decade, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn, its spectacular rings, and its family of icy moons. Cassini was a sophisticated robotic spacecraft sent to study Saturn and its complex system of rings and moons in unprecedented detail. It was one of the most ambitious efforts ever mounted in planetary exploration. [Read More](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/about-the-mission/) ## Lessons Learned Before the mission ended, Cassini was already a powerful influence on future exploration. In revealing that Enceladus has essentially all the ingredients needed for life, the mission energized a pivot to the exploration of "ocean worlds" that has been sweeping planetary science over the past couple of decades. Lessons learned during Cassini's mission are being applied in planning NASA's [Europa Clipper](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/) mission, planned for launch in October 2024. Europa Clipper will make dozens of flybys of Jupiter's icy moon to determine whether there are places below the surface that could support life. The mission uses an orbital tour design derived from the way Cassini explored Saturn. Farther out in the solar system, scientists have long had their eyes set on exploring Uranus and Neptune. So far, each of these worlds has been visited by only one brief spacecraft flyby (Voyager 2, in 1986 and 1989, respectively). Collectively, Uranus and Neptune are referred to as ice giant planets. A variety of potential mission concepts are discussed. Future missions to the ice giants might explore those worlds using an approach similar to Cassini's mission. Keep Exploring ## Discover More Topics From NASA