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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.

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