Goodbye, Cassini

[RocketMan-Explorer]

So, those of you know that Cassini will burn up in Saturn's atmosphere on September 15, 2017, one month shy of its 20^th birthday.  Any thoughts or ideas?

 

 

[Green Baron]

Good job.

Hail the Probe

[XB-70A]

Glory over such an incredible probe.

[LordFerret]

Only thought here is that, once again, we're leaving our trash behind... even if it's burned up in the atmosphere. tsk tsk tsk

[pxi]

For all it did I'd hardly call it trash.

I really don't understand why it wasn't just left in orbit but I'm sure there's a good reason, and there'll likely be some science done in its final moments.

[StupidAndy]

2 minutes ago, pxi said:

I really don't understand why it wasn't just left in orbit but I'm sure there's a good reason, and there'll likely be some science done in its final moments.

its so it doesn't contaminate the moons that might have life on them with the RTG and spare germs on the probe if it crashes into them

and science, cant forget the science

[TheSaint]

Nothing lasts forever....

[LordFerret]

4 hours ago, pxi said:

For all it did I'd hardly call it trash.

I really don't understand why it wasn't just left in orbit but I'm sure there's a good reason, and there'll likely be some science done in its final moments.

This ^

 

4 hours ago, StupidAndy said:

its so it doesn't contaminate the moons that might have life on them with the RTG and spare germs on the probe if it crashes into them

and science, cant forget the science

What we know of Saturn is a thimble-full in comparison to what we know of our own oceans... and that is a thumble-full in comparison to what we know of life on land of our own planet. Meaning: We know next to nothing. Who knows what Saturn might harbor... yet it's ok to dump that RTG and 'spare germs' there? That does not sit well with me; I find it a poor choice and makes me question the rationale of those in charge.

[StupidAndy]

13 minutes ago, LordFerret said:

What we know of Saturn is a thimble-full in comparison to what we know of our own oceans... and that is a thumble-full in comparison to what we know of life on land of our own planet. Meaning: We know next to nothing. Who knows what Saturn might harbor... yet it's ok to dump that RTG and 'spare germs' there? That does not sit well with me; I find it a poor choice and makes me question the rationale of those in charge.

wait, just to be sure, you think I want to crash it into Enceladus? I was telling the reason why it IS crashing into Saturn, I agree with the reason, I DONT want it to crash into Enceladus or Titan

[LordFerret]

21 minutes ago, StupidAndy said:

wait, just to be sure, you think I want to crash it into Enceladus? I was telling the reason why it IS crashing into Saturn, I agree with the reason, I DONT want it to crash into Enceladus or Titan

There's no reason for it to crash into anything. They could just leave it in a stable orbit... to be retrieved at a much later date.

[StupidAndy]

Just now, LordFerret said:

There's no reason for it to crash into anything. They could just leave it in a stable orbit... to be retrieved at a much later date.

the RTG would run out eventually, and we can get moar science this way

 

[0111narwhalz]

1 hour ago, LordFerret said:

There's no reason for it to crash into anything.

I think you underestimate the chaos of a system with as many moons as Saturn's. Not to mention the extreme Kessler syndrome of its famous rings. The small perturbations of Saturn's moons may be relatively insubstantial in the short term, but left as is, eventually the probe will either hit something or be ejected. Or it won't, and someday we will recover... what? The meteoroid-perforated corpse of a dead probe?

No events which arise from the loss of the probe to time return science even remotely comparable to atmospheric entry with a live and broadcasting one.

[TheKosanianMethod]

8 hours ago, pxi said:

likely be some science done in its final moments.

"Even though you broke my heart and killed me

And tore me to pieces

And threw every piece into a fire

...

I'm GLaD I got burned!

Think of all the things were learned!"

[LordFerret]

16 hours ago, 0111narwhalz said:

I think you underestimate the chaos of a system with as many moons as Saturn's. Not to mention the extreme Kessler syndrome of its famous rings. The small perturbations of Saturn's moons may be relatively insubstantial in the short term, but left as is, eventually the probe will either hit something or be ejected. Or it won't, and someday we will recover... what? The meteoroid-perforated corpse of a dead probe?

No events which arise from the loss of the probe to time return science even remotely comparable to atmospheric entry with a live and broadcasting one.

No underestimation at all with respect to that (chaos of Saturn's system). I stand by my original statement.

[WinkAllKerb'']

my brother should offer me this(or not far^^) the 15th:

Sort of Happy wink & kerbal Day ^^

Edited June 16, 2017 by WinkAllKerb''

[Arugela]

Yea, if they want to not contaminate things they should send it into deep space or the sun. For all we know Saturn will be the only place with bacteria. And if it turns out that way we will now never know where it came from.

[Green Baron]

No need for sentimentalities, it is part of the mission to let it dive through the rings and into Saturn's atmosphere. It is about getting the most out of the mission before the machine fails or might complicate future explorations.

Edited June 19, 2017 by Green Baron

[kerbiloid]

If anaerobic lifeforms survived the space journey,
when they will dive into the life-giving hydrogen+hydrocarbon Saturnian atmosphere,
this will be officially the biggest bucket of dough where the humans have put a leaven.

Or the largest toilet pit where they've thrown a piece of yeast.