Watch Cassini Spacecraft's Grand Finale Friday Morning

[lastlib]

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/cassini-spacecraft-makes-its-final-approach-to-saturn

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is on final approach to Saturn and is on course to dive into the planet’s atmosphere on Friday, Sept. 15. End-of-mission coverage with live commentary begins at 7 a.m. EDT on NASA Television. A feed with mission control audio only begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT.
Cassini is ending its 13-year tour of the Saturn system with an intentional plunge into the planet to ensure Saturn's moons – in particular Enceladus, with its subsurface ocean and signs of hydrothermal activity – remain pristine for future exploration.

https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/the-journey/grand-finale-feature/

We salute you Cassini! You have served well!

[Warpy]

1. Last pictures being transmitted today

Telemetry will continue until it fails.

I wonder how long it would have lasted had they decided not to let it break up in the upper atmosphere. I'm constantly amazed that Voyger is still going.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. It is almost out of fuel for the thrusters, so it is losing the ability to change orbit ...

... and even to orient itself. If it were left in Saturn orbit it would lose its lock on Earth and the signal would be lost, so no benefit. The orbit would slowly be perturbed into unpredictable trajectories, possibly impacting a moon, which is why they'd prefer to destroy it.

https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/engine/

[Warpy]

4. Thanks

I'd read everything but the rationale on other sites.

[SCantiGOP]

3. I hope this gets some general coverage

We need public support for our space program.

[lastlib]

5. AGREED!

People need to see what we are doing up there, and take inspiration from it. I hope they will find enough inspiration from it to understand that science is the best hope we have; and that this "pale blue dot" is the ONLY hope we have.

[xxqqqzme]

6. I hope so too

NASA channel is a premium on Spectrum. So we get nothing