Cassini´s `Grand Finale´ at Saturn. Mission ends after pushing the boundaries of exploration
(World News Science)

Twenty years after departing from Earth and 13 years after it slipped into orbit around Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft is all set today for its `Grand Finale`, the last act of its mission as it plunges purposely into the planet`s atmosphere. It will be no ordinary ending, as NASA has opted for a bold scenario to fly the spacecraft between the planet and its rings to measure their mass and deduce their age. The mission`s science team will then use the data gathered to measure and map Saturn`s gravity field and thus gain new insights into the planet`s inner structure. The dramatic last dive will bring down the curtain on...