Researchers prep for spacecraft's grand finale
The Cassini spacecraft will fly close to Saturn’s rings and the planet, according to the SETI Institute in California. It is scheduled to complete its mission by diving into the planet in September 2017.
Before the end, though, Cassini is set to sample the atmosphere and measure the mass of the rings, a SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) news release said. “It will also make repeated passes very close to the rings -- at distances only a few times the diameter of Earth.” By moving closer, Cassini will provide images in better resolution. One area of focus for researchers will be the moonlets embedded in the ring.
Last year, Cassini made headlines when it zoomed through erupting plumes off Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. The beginning of the end for the robotic spacecraft will be in late 2016, when the Cassini begins "a daring set of orbits," according to NASA. As part of the plan the spacecraft will dive between the planet and its innermost ring 22 times.
CARGO SPACECRAFT ARRIVES: The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft arrived April 10 at the International Space Station, according to NASA.
Along with scientific research, the spacecraft is carrying the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, called BEAM.
Once attached to the space station, the module will be filled with air, expanding to roughly 13 feet long and 10.5 feet in diameter.
Astronauts will enter it periodically as part of an effort to monitor its performance. If successful, an inflatable module could be used to provide more room for astronauts to live and work during longer journeys, such as the trip to Mars.
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