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Cassini's Final Orbits

Illustration showing orbit tracks that go both inside and outside Saturn's rings.
Source: NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Caltech / Erick Sturm
Published: March 24, 2017

This illustration created by Cassini's mission planning team shows the closest approaches - periapses - of the spacecraft during the final two phases of the mission - the Ring-Grazing orbits (November 2016 to April 2017) and the Grand Finale Orbits (April to September 2017).

The mission ends on Sept. 15, 2017 with Cassini's final plunge into Saturn's atmosphere.

ENLARGE

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