Images from the Cassinni (Cassinni-Huygens) mission to Saturn. Space is the Place.
Cassini's landmark tour of Saturn began July 1, 2004 UTC with the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) engine burn. This burn will slow the spacecraft down, allowing it to be captured by Saturn's gravity. After the spacecraft is captured, it will begin a 4-year tour of scientific exploration of the ringed planet, its moons, and magnetosphere.
The spacecraft will make 74 unique orbits around the planet, using 45 close flybys of Saturn's largest moon Titan for gravity assist and science data acquisition. [!!!] Because of the sheer size of Titan, the flybys will allow for major changes in orbital paths, allowing engineers to minimize fuel use while maximizing science data collection.
