Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane

E202554

Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane was the dramatic concluding phase of NASA's Cassini mission, during which the spacecraft repeatedly dived between Saturn and its innermost rings to collect unprecedented close-up data before its deliberate plunge into the planet.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Cassini mission phase
space mission phase
agency Jet Propulsion Laboratory
surface form: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
alsoKnownAs Cassini–Huygens
surface form: Cassini Grand Finale

Cassini proximal orbits
collaboratingAgency European Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
communicationMethod real-time data transmission during final plunge
dataType atmospheric composition data
gravity measurements
imaging data
magnetometer data
radio science data
designedBy Cassini–Huygens
surface form: Cassini project team
distanceFromCloudTopsAtPeriapsis approximately 2600 km
endEvent Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane self-linksurface differs
surface form: Cassini atmospheric entry into Saturn
endEventDate 2017-09-15
endTime 2017-09-15
feature orbits passing between Saturn cloud tops and D ring
repeated dives through Saturn ring plane
inclination high-inclination orbits
location Saturnian system
surface form: Saturn system
missionPhaseAfter F-ring orbits of Cassini
numberOfOrbits 22
operator NASA
orbitalRegion space between Saturn and innermost rings
outcome intentional destruction of Cassini in Saturn atmosphere
partOf Cassini–Huygens
surface form: Cassini mission

Cassini–Huygens
surface form: Cassini–Huygens mission
purpose collect close-up data of Saturn
measure Saturn’s ring mass
obtain high-resolution images of Saturn and rings
probe Saturn’s atmosphere
study Saturn’s gravity field
study Saturn’s magnetic field
reason avoid accidental contamination of Enceladus
avoid accidental contamination of Titan
planetary protection of Saturn’s moons
riskLevel high
scientificResult constraints on Saturn interior structure
improved estimate of Saturn ring age
measurements of Saturn atmospheric winds at depth
spacecraft Cassini–Huygens
surface form: Cassini
startTime 2017-04-26
target Saturn
Saturn rings

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Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cassini–Huygens finalMissionPhase Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane
Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane endEvent Grand Finale orbits through Saturn ring plane self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Cassini atmospheric entry into Saturn