NASA’s Cassini spacecraft disintegrated in the skies above Saturn on September 15, 2017 in a final, fateful blaze of cosmic glory, following a remarkable journey of 20 years.
Dutiful to the end, the Cassini snapped its “last memento photos” on September 14 and sampled Saturn’s atmosphere on September 15 morning as it made its final plunge.
Programme manager Earl Maize made the official pronouncement. “This has been an incredible mission, an incredible spacecraft and you’re all an incredible team,” Maize said. “I’m going to call this the end of mission.”
Flight controllers wearing matching purple shirts stood and embraced and shook hands.
More than 1,500 people, many of them past and present team members, had gathered at California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for what was described as both a vigil and celebration. Even more congregated at nearby California Institute of Technology, which runs the lab for NASA.
In this natural colour mosaic image provided by NASA on November 12, 2013, Saturn eclipses the Sun as seen by Cassini on July 19, 2013. This image spans about 651,000 km across.
Flight director Julie Webster reacts in mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after confirmation of Cassini's demise on September 15, 2017, in Pasadena, California.
Project manager Earl Maize, packs up his workspace in mission control after the end of the Cassini mission at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Engineer Nancy Vandermay, left, wipes her tears in mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory after confirmation of Cassini’s demise.
This September 13, 2017 image made available by NASA on September 15, 2017 shows the northern hemisphere of Saturn as seen from Cassini on its descent towards the planet.
The atmospheric haze on Saturn’s moon Titan as seen from Cassini on September 13, 2017 and made available by NASA on September 15 during the spacecraft’s descent towards the planet.
This image made available by NASA shows Saturn’s edge and its moon Enceladus as seen from Cassini on its descent towards the planet on September 13, 2017. The probe disintegrated in the skies above the planet two days later.
Cassini team members hug at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the final loss of signal from the spacecraft is confirmed, indicating its destruction in Saturn’s atmosphere on September 15, 2017.
Cassini science team member Nora Alonge reacts after the final loss of signal from Cassini is confirmed.
Goodbye notes to NASA’s Cassini spacecraft left by visitors at the California Science Centre in Los Angeles on September 15, 2017.