dogloose

An unmanned NASA spacecraft, Cassini[1], has plunged into the gap between Saturn and its rings, a pioneering journey that could offer an unprecedented view of the sixth planet from the Sun.

The first of the spaceship's 22 deep dives between Saturn and its innermost ring occurred[2] on Wednesday at 9am GMT (2:30pm IST), NASA said.

Cassini Goes for a Spin Between Saturn and Its Rings for Grand Finale[3]

Now comes a nail-biting wait. Communications with the spacecraft will go dark during the dive and for about a day afterward, while it makes scientific observations of the planet.

If Cassini survives the trip, it could make radio contact with Earth as early as 3:05 am (0705 GMT) on April 27.

 

— CassiniSaturn (@CassiniSaturn)
April 26, 2017[6]

 

"Images and other data are expected to begin flowing in shortly after communication is established," NASA said.

Cassini is a 20-year-old joint mission of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

The 22-foot-tall (6.7 meter) spacecraft launched in 1997 and began orbiting Saturn in 2004.

Cassini is running low on fuel, and will make a death plunge into Saturn's surface on September 15.

The decision to end the mission was made in 2010, to avoid damaging moons like Enceladus, which could be explored for signs of life in the future.

Dangerous moment
Venturing between the planet and its rings for the first time represents...

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