Nearly seven years ago, Cassini-Huygens (HOY-ginz) lifted off from Cape Canaveral, and began its voyage across the Solar System. Three weeks from now, that voyage will finally come to an end; Cassini is making its final approach to the great ringed giant, Saturn. Cassini is going to uncover some of the great mysteries behind the second largest planet. Saturn's massive ring system is one prime target for investigation. Other planets have rings, but Saturn's are truly spectacular, and have baffled astronomers for centuries. The Huygens component of Cassini will detach from the spacecraft six months after reaching Saturn, and descend onto the surface of planet's largest moon, Titan. The lander was developed by the European Space Agency to investigate this enormous moon, the only one in the Solar System with its own atmosphere. Log on to NASA dot gov on July 1st for live updates as Cassini reaches this mysterious planet.
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NASA ID
ksc_061404_cassini
Date Created
June 15, 2004
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KSC
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video
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NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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