Skip Navigation
menu close modal

Resources

Grand Finale Orbits - Side View

Source: NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Caltech / Erick Sturm
Published: March 24, 2017

Cassini mission planners created this animation to showcase Cassini's final 22 orbits - the mission's Grand Finale.

Grand Finale Orbits
Screenshot showing a side view of Cassini's final orbits at Saturn.

Related

This whimsical poster imagines a future where tourists on Mars will visit the historic landing sites of the today's space missions.
More
Futuristic Mars tourism poster.
Explore Mars: Visions of the Future Poster
A selection of graphics celebrating America's birthday over the years.
More
Saturn illustrated with fourth of July themes.
Fourth of July
May 2022 skywatching highlights: Morning planets, a total lunar eclipse, and the second-closest open star cluster, which hangs out near the lion's tail.
More
Video describing things to see in the night sky.
What's Up: May 2022
The Sun emitted a significant solar flare on Dec. 19, 2014.  
More
The Sun emitted a significant solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an X-class solar flare erupting on the sun on Dec. 19, 2014. This image blends two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolent light, 171 (gold) and 131 (purple).
Holiday Lights on the Sun: Imagery of a Solar Flare
​On the final orbit, Cassini will plunge into Saturn fighting to keep its antenna pointed at Earth as it transmits its farewell. In the skies of Saturn, the journey ends, as Cassini becomes part of...
More
Short animation depicting Cassini's entry in the atmosphere.
Cassini's Final Plunge
This graph shows the energetic ion and electron data from the Saturn orbit insertion interval on June 30 and July 1, 2004.
More
Saturn's Main Radiation Belt
Saturn's Main Radiation Belt
This movie created from images obtained by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows a propeller-shaped structure created by a hidden, embedded moon moving through one of Saturn's rings.
More
This movie created from images obtained by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shows a propeller-shaped structure created by a hidden, embedded moon moving through one of Saturn's rings.
Propeller Churns the A Ring
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will make history's first attempt at powered flight on another planet.
More
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: Attempting the First Powered Flight on Mars
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: Attempting the First Powered Flight on Mars
High-Altitude Clouds
More
High-Altitude Clouds
High-Altitude Clouds
Since the 1960’s, scientists have suspected that frozen water could survive in cold, dark craters at the Moon’s poles. 
More
Since the 1960’s, scientists have suspected that frozen water could survive in cold, dark craters at the Moon’s poles.
Water on the Moon
Take a flight over dwarf planet Ceres in this video made with images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
More
Flight Over Ceres
Flight Over Dwarf Planet Ceres
On June 30, 2004 (PDT), as mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory held their collective breath, the international Cassini-Huygens mission successfully arrived in orbit around Saturn.
More
A look back at Cassini's arrival at Saturn.
Flashback: Cassini Arrival at Saturn
Episode 1: Launch. Meet Lucy as she prepares for the first-ever journey to the Trojan asteroids, a population of primitive small bodies orbiting in tandem with Jupiter. 
More
Video about Lucy mission
Lucy's Journey: Episode 1
Presented here is a complete set of cartographic map sheets from a high-resolution Dione atlas, a project of the Cassini Imaging Team. The map sheets form a 15-quadrangle series covering the entire...
More
Dione atlas
The Dione Atlas
Team members reflect on Spirit's six-years of roving Mars.
More
Team members reflect on Spirit's six-years of roving Mars.
Spirit's Triumphs on Mars
This graphic shows the trajectories for the Cassini spacecraft during its flybys of the icy moon Enceladus through the 21st planned targeted encounter. With the exception of E-12, E-13, and E-16...
More
Diagram showing the relative position of the close Enceladus fly-bys E-11 through E-21.
Cassini's E-12 through E-21 Trajectories
This graphic illustrates how scientists on NASA's Cassini mission think water interacts with rock at the bottom of the ocean of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, producing hydrogen gas (H2). 
More
Illustrated graphic showing what an under ice ocean on Enceladus might look like.
Enceladus Hydrothermal Activity
Edward Stone describes how he was always interested in what was new as a young man and how space physics got his attention.
More
Edward Stone describes how he was always interested in what was new as a young man and how space physics got his attention.
Through the Eyes of Scientists - Meet Edward Stone
Beginning April 2021, the window opens for the first flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. It will be history’s first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet.
More
Mars Helicopter Prepares for Takeoff
Mars Helicopter Prepares for Takeoff
Look for Mars close to the Pleiades in the first weeks of March. Then wake up early to observe the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn.
More
Video describing things to see in the night sky.
What's Up: March 2021 [Video]
Watch a conversation about the Solar Orbiter mission with NASA scientist Dr. Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla.
More
A image of Dr. Nieves-Chinchilla.
Exploring the Sun with Solar Orbiter
As millions of people observed the total lunar eclipse on October 8, 2014, MESSENGER was also watching from Mercury.
More
Earth's moon seems to disappear during lunar eclipse viewed from Mercury. Both Earth and its moon are seen as small dots.
Lunar Eclipse From Mercury
This Pride Month, NASA celebrates the significant contributions of LGBTQ+ employees.
More
Video marking Pride Month
Together We Rise
Milestones in Cassini's final dive toward Saturn. 
More
Graphic of Cassini's final dive toward Saturn
Milestones in Cassini's Final Dive
Arrival at Saturn
More
Arrival at Saturn
Arrival at Saturn

You Might Also Like