Cassiniluotaimet

Cassiniluotaimet, also known as Cassini-Huygens, was a joint NASA-ESA-ASI robotic spacecraft mission to study the planet Saturn and its moons. The mission was named after the astronomers Giovanni Cassini and Christiaan Huygens, who made significant contributions to the study of Saturn and its moons. The spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997, and entered orbit around Saturn on July 1, 2004. The mission consisted of two main components: the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe.

The Cassini orbiter was equipped with a suite of scientific instruments designed to study Saturn's atmosphere, magnetic field, and rings, as well as its moons. The orbiter also carried the Huygens probe, which was designed to study the atmosphere and surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. On December 25, 2004, the Huygens probe was successfully deployed from the Cassini orbiter and descended through Titan's atmosphere, providing the first direct measurements of the moon's atmosphere and surface.

The Cassini-Huygens mission made numerous discoveries during its 13-year mission, including the presence of liquid methane lakes on Titan, the discovery of geysers on Enceladus, and the detection of complex organic molecules in Saturn's atmosphere. The mission also provided valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the Saturnian system.

The Cassini orbiter was intentionally deorbited into Saturn's atmosphere on September 15, 2017, to prevent any potential contamination of Saturn's moons by Earth microbes. The mission ended with a final plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, providing valuable data on the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field until the spacecraft's signal was lost. The Cassini-Huygens mission was a groundbreaking achievement in planetary exploration, providing a wealth of scientific data and insights into the Saturnian system.