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Discussion » Questions » Science and Technology » Endings are often sad, especially when death is involved. The NASA Cassini spacecraft died September 15, 2017. Didja know?
RosieG

Endings are often sad, especially when death is involved. The NASA Cassini spacecraft died September 15, 2017. Didja know?

Cassini was the first probe to orbit Saturn. It was launched in 1997, put into orbit in 2004 and died on Friday September 15,  2017. The same team worked on this project together for 20 years. It was remarkably successful and yielded a lot of data. How would YOU feel leaving co-workers with whom you had worked on a project after 20 years? It can't have been easy to say goodbye. Cassini took its own life as it were. It was programmed to do what it did for all those years and programmed to die. I think it's very sad saying goodbye. Though for all the folks involved it is and was A JOB WELL DONE. Are you a fan of NASA? Why?

Posted - September 17, 2017
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Responses


  • 16768
    I'm a fan of NASA, I was born the year that Armstrong took that "one small step". Disappointed that they discontinued the Shuttle rather than renewing and replacing it. I'm waiting to see what they release from Cassini's death dive - they haven't yet, they're still collating the data.
      September 17, 2017 5:29 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Me too Sbf! Very bigly excited about what else is there. I'm not a patient waiter. Of course all things science fascinate me. Especially quantum physics but I think you already know. Now just imagine the BRILLIANCE of these folks who designed Cassini so many years ago and it worked spectacularly well for 20 years! They said they've had some scares along the way but really no failures and isn't that a remarkable achievement? 20 years and it would still be going strong if it hadn't been programmed to do a death dive. It's kinda hard for me to imagine that level of intelligence and expertise. I don't know if you get the show "NOVA" but they just did a program on Cassini and some of the scientists who were involved and you could tell their joy at what they accomplished coupled with their sorrow that it was over.  There were graphics and diagrams of the various maneuvers Cassini performed through the years and some info about the nature of the information they learned about Saturn. I don't know how long it will take them to review all the info they got from Cassini toward the end of its life. I think it was broadcasting data up until the last 45 seconds. I can hardly wait for the next NASA project.  Thank you for your reply Sbf. :)
      September 17, 2017 7:04 AM MDT
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