Reconstructing Cassini`s plunge into Saturn
(PHYSorg.com Space & Earth)

As NASA`s Cassini spacecraft made its fateful dive into the upper atmosphere of Saturn on Sept. 15, the spacecraft was live-streaming data from eight of its science instruments, along with readings from a variety of engineering systems. While analysis of science data from the final plunge will take some time, Cassini engineers already have a pretty clear understanding of how the spacecraft itself behaved as it went in. The data are useful for evaluating models of Saturn`s atmosphere the team used to predict the spacecraft`s behavior at mission`s end, and they help provide a baseline for planning future missions to Saturn.