Ist doch erstaunlich, was Menschen erreichen können.
Was für eine Expedition. Der letzte Umlauf.
Bye
Cassini. Und
gegenüber allen, die daran mitgearbeitet haben und arbeiten.
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Orbit 293 - The Final Plunge - September 12 - 15
Apoapse Sep 12 5:27 a.m. 10:27 p.m. (Sep 11) The start of Cassini's final plunge into Saturn. The spacecraft will downlink to the Deep Space Network at the end of the day. -
Atmospheric Entry Sep 15 10:31 a.m. 3:31 a.m. Thrusters will maintain attitude control for about a minute. Estimated Earth Received Time (ERT) for Cassini’s final signal (end of mission) is approximately 4:55 a.m. PDT on September 15. (Times are subject to change. See updated times
here.)
- During this partial orbit, when Cassini is three and half hours from its expected end of mission, data from the spacecraft’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS), and magnetospheric and plasma science instruments are transmitted to Earth in nearly real time, just seconds after each observation is made. Cassini usually holds onto those data for hours or days before turning its high-gain antenna toward Earth to transmit them.
- Unlike the preceding orbits, where the Cassini’s lowest altitudes were chosen to avoid tumbling, the spacecraft trajectory on this orbit intentionally continues all the way into Saturn.
- Cassini continues transmitting as long as possible until the force of Saturn’s atmosphere overpowers the spacecraft’s thrusters and Cassini can no longer point its antenna precisely enough to maintain contact with Earth.
- When the spacecraft’s signal is lost, the Cassini mission comes to an end.
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