Cassini probe

Cassini probe

The human being in his adventure to know the universe, has used numerous technological devices that have made it possible to learn and extract a large amount of very useful information. The Cassini probe it has been on an adventure through space for more than 20 years and has become the companion of Saturn. However, a few years ago he left us but with some images and extraordinary knowledge.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, important trip of the Cassini probe.

Key features

Saturn's rings

It was launched in 1997 and did not reach Saturn until 2004. During this 7-year journey it had to go through some difficulties. The last phase started on April 22, 2017 and was in charge of crossing the area between the rings and the planet. In the end it was destroyed in the atmosphere of Saturn after so many years of service.

If we count the 7 damage it took to reach Saturn, we add 13 years of emission, so it has been able to perform quite a few functions. It has been 13 years prowling around the planet in which it has been possible to extract a large amount of information about the main satellites. Already after 10 years of orbit, it offered data from more than 3.500 million kilometers traveled around the planet, about 350.000 photographs and more than 500 GB of data for scientists.

However, the Cassini probe has not made this entire journey alone. His partner was Huygens and it was manufactured by the European Space Agency (ESA). This companion separated after landing on Titan on January 14, 2005. The Cassini probe mission was lengthened since 2008, but thanks to its excellent condition it has been extending the missions until this year. Although it uses Titan's gravity to make orbit changes, it uses its fuel to perform certain maneuvers. After so many years, the fuel has practically remained in little reserve and NASA has preferred to destroy it and avoid a fall on any of the moons that contaminates areas of special scientific value.

We have already polluted our planet and surroundings enough to go to Saturn to pollute its moons.

Great discoveries from the Cassini probe

saturn orbit

Let's see what are the biggest discoveries that the Cassini probe has made. Those accompaniments to Saturn, has been a great explorer who has discovered up to 7 new moons of the planet and confirmed that Enceladus is covered by a global ocean hidden under a layer of outer ice. The last final mission was one of the most dangerous since it entered an inclined and eccentric orbit whose closest point to the planet was almost 8.000 kilometers. In this mission, it made 22 perfectly programmed laps since with a relative speed of 34 kilometers per second it could traverse the space between the rings and the planet with a margin of about 2.000 kilometers.

Its last orbit was aided by the gravity of Saturn's moon. The probe had to be placed in its last orbit which was located at the closest point to the planet with only about 1.000 km. In it he was able to offer better data that allowed him to analyze the internal structure of the planet and its rings. With an accuracy of 5%, it was possible to calculate the mass and take pictures of the clouds and the atmosphere. Finally, on September 11, 2017, it started its last flight to end its disintegration of Saturn's atmosphere.

Cassini probe and habitable places

nearlyini probe trip

Before the mission began, it was unclear whether a known mix of elements essential for life existed somewhere in the outer solar system: frozen water, liquid water, basic chemicals, and energy, sunlight, or chemical reactions. Since Cassini arrived at Saturn, has shown that it is possible to have a habitable world with oceans.

Enceladus, although small in size, was found to have strong geological activities and liquid water reserves near the south pole, because it is global liquid water. The ocean, which contains salt and simple organic molecules, releases water vapor and gel through geysers in cracks on its surface. The existence of this ocean makes Enceladus one of the most promising places in the solar system to find life.

Over the years, the Cassini probe has also solved one of the most hypothetical mysteries: why Enceladus is the brightest celestial body in the solar system. This is because it was a body of ice.

Titan is also a strong candidate for finding life. The Huygens probe carrying Cassini landed on the satellite's surface and found evidence of an ocean under its ice, which may be made up of water and ammonia, and the atmosphere is full of prebiotic molecules. He saw that it contained a complete hydrological system, with rivers, lakes, and oceans filled with liquid methane and ethane.

Based on the model, scientists believe that Titan's ocean may also contain hydrothermal vents, which provide energy for life. Therefore, scientists hope to preserve its original conditions for future exploration. Therefore, they made the Cassini probe he will "commit suicide" against Saturn to prevent it from falling on this moon and polluting it.

On Titan, the mission also showed us an earth-like world whose climate and geology help us understand our own planet. In a way, Cassini is like a time machine, which opens a window for us to see the physical processes that may have shaped the development of the solar system and planetary systems around other stars.

The spacecraft has provided a glimpse of the Saturn system. It obtained information on the composition and temperature of the upper atmosphere, storms and powerful radio emissions. He observed lightning on the earth's surface during the day and night for the first time. There is also his ring, a natural laboratory to study the formation of planets, a kind of miniature solar system.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Cassini probe and its contributions.


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