Cassini–Huygens

An orbiter and a lander revealed an astonishing system of rings, icy moons and a world with methane rain.

Cassini entered orbit around Saturn in 2004. The Huygens probe descended to Titan in January 2005, returning measurements from its atmosphere and surface. Cassini found jets from Enceladus and explored Saturn’s rings in detail. Its mission ended with a planned plunge into Saturn on 15 September 2017, protecting potentially habitable moons from contamination.

Milestones

• 1997 · Launch
• 2004 · Saturn orbit
• 2005 · Huygens lands on Titan
• 2017 · Grand Finale