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Source: 30dB.com – %23Cassini
But this was no catastrophic disaster for NASA. In fact, it sent the probe on its crash course, destroying it to make sure it wouldn’t slam into Saturn’s moons once fuel ran out. The fiery end for Cassini marks a mission that gets top grades from Social thanks to all the discoveries it made. Cassini delivered the Huygens probe to Titan, discovering a world of methane lakes, and also explored Enceladus, a prime candidate for life beyond Earth. In addition, it analyzed the rings of Saturn, and during its final moments, Cassini sent back invaluable data about Saturn’s atmosphere. “Most of what we have in science textbooks about Saturn comes from Cassini,” Mike Watkins, director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said last week. Because of those discoveries, 73 percent of the online conversation around Cassini is positive, and Social says “job well done.” –Hugo Guzman
Republished from 30dB