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cassini

We're mere days away from the end of NASA's Cassini mission. The spacecraft has been exploring Saturn and its entourage of moons for more than a decade, but the fourth dimension has come to execute the "M Finale." In the early forenoon on Fri (September 15th), the final signals volition be sent by Cassini every bit it falls into Saturn's atmosphere. All the pieces are in identify to track Cassini during its concluding maneuver, including a giant advice facility in Australia, which will receive Cassini'southward information in real time.

NASA began the Yard Finale dorsum in Apr with a course correction that sent Cassini spiraling in toward the gas giant. It was able to observe the rings and upper temper during these orbits, which were accounted too dangerous when the probe wasn't nearing the end of its life. Of course, Cassini could go along to operate for years, simply information technology's nearly out of fuel. With no way to control the arts and crafts, it may somewhen crash on ane of Saturn'south moons, and NASA wants to avoid contaminating those environments.

In that location is a handy "end of mission" timeline on the NASA JPL website, which includes the expected time of various events over the coming days. It has a live countdown to Cassini'southward terminal plunge into Saturn. The exact times may change as contact with Saturn's atmosphere slows the probe downwardly, just the current target for loss of signal is 4:55 AM PDT on Fri. NASA has three basis stations for its Deep Space Network, one each in California, Spain, and Australia. But the Australian station will be pointed the right way, so that's where Cassini's terminal bulletin will exist received.

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is located on the outskirts of Canberra, and is operated by Australia'southward Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Arrangement (CSIRO). The circuitous has four massive antenna dishes, the largest measuring seventy meters (229 anxiety). The CDSCC provides two-way communication with dozens of agile NASA missions, including Cassini.

Ane of the CDSCC antennas.

Cassini usually stores its information and sends it back to Globe in bursts to save power. All the same, the Thou Finale will be a fiddling different. Cassini is currently scheduled to take its last photos of Saturn on September 14th (in the afternoon, US fourth dimension). These images volition be transmitted immediately, and the probe will maintain a continuous communication link for the next 14-15 hours until it disappears forever.

CDSCC expects to receive information from Cassini at 27 kilobits per second equally information technology drops into Saturn. The spacecraft will fire its thrusters at 100 percent in an attempt to keep the antenna pointed at Earth, simply somewhen it will tumble into the atmosphere, and CDSCC volition lose the signal forever.