Cassini:
Goals: Cassini's flyby of Jupiter provided the final push to get the spacecraft to Saturn. It also presented an unprecedented chance to simultaneously study a gas giant planet from two different spacecraft. Mission controllers also used the flyby for a final test of the spacecraft's systems before the primary mission began.

Accomplishments: Scientists used joint observations from Cassini and the Galileo spacecraft to reveal Jupiter's magnetosphere, a vast, invisible whirling bubble of charged particles surrounding the planet. The data revealed how the Jupiter interacts with particles from our Sun. The results helped scientists understand Earth's own magnetosphere, which shields us from harmful solar radiation. Cassini also revealed Jupiter's radiation belts to be much harsher than expected - information that will help engineers protect future robotic spacecraft - and spotted new details in Jupiter's auroras.

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15 Oct 1997:  Launch 30 Dec 2000:  Jupiter Flyby 1 Jul 2004:  Saturn Orbit Insertion 24 Dec 2004:  Huygens Probe Release Status:  Extended Mission in Progress Show All Dates for Cassini		3 Feb 2010:  Saturn Tour Extended 23 Dec 2009:  Moondance 22 Dec 2009:  Extraterrestrial Fog More Headlines
The spacecraft is named for Giovanni Cassini (1625 - 1712), the European astronomer who discovered four moons of Saturn and a large gap in the planet's rings. Cassini was the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn. Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 were flyby missions. Saturn and its ring system serve as a miniature model for the disc of gas and dust surround the early Sun that formed the planets.		Solar System Bodies: Jupiter Cassini Multimedia Gallery ESA's Cassini-Huygens Homepage NSSDC Master Catalog: Cassini