# Where is Cassini Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276 "2017-04-26T12:37:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/1 "2017-04-26T12:37:57Z")
The JPL website gives you updates every five minutes as Cassini goes toward the Rings of Saturn: > **[Flybys | Saturn Tour – NASA Solar System Exploration](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/tour/flybys/)** > > NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system. They also give a timetable for The Grand Finale: > **[Overview | The Grand Finale – NASA Solar System Exploration](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/grand-finale/overview/)** > > NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/2 "2017-04-26T12:51:12Z")
Man, I remember when there was a strong belief among whackos that the Cassini spacecraft was going to blow up on launch, litter uranium all around the world, and basically end human life. I am glad that did not happen. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/3 "2017-04-26T12:58:52Z")
A great JPL movie (~3 minutes) about the entire program - obviously designed to tug at the old heart strings. 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/embed/xrGAQCq9BMU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLTiv_XWHnOZpKPaDTVy36z0U8GxoiIkZa ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/4 "2017-04-26T13:00:40Z")
Can’t wait for the pictures! ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/5 "2017-04-28T01:12:56Z")
I was really hoping this was going to be about Oleg Cassini. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/6 "2017-04-28T03:41:51Z")
Argh why can’t they post speeds in m/s? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/7 "2017-04-28T03:48:28Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Man, I remember when there was a strong belief among whackos that the Cassini spacecraft was going to blow up on launch, litter uranium all around the world, and basically end human life. I am glad that did not happen. PU-238 actually, but the point stands. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/8 "2017-04-28T12:07:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > PU-238 actually, but the point stands. It was also an issue in the 1959 TV show _Men Into Space_, where radioactive material was disposed of by shooting it into the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/9 "2017-04-28T12:14:17Z")
**Did You Know?** The maximum speed clocked by Cassini was 98,346 mph (44 kilometers per second) relative to the sun on June 25, 1999. This must’ve been during a planetary slingshot. Which planet? Mars? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/10 "2017-04-28T12:37:21Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > **Did You Know?** The maximum speed clocked by Cassini was 98,346 mph (44 kilometers per second) relative to the sun on June 25, 1999. > > This must’ve been during a planetary slingshot. Which planet? Mars? IDK but doubt mars to be that significant, helpful yes, but just too small too far and too slow to be more then a minor boost and it’s losing speed heading against the sun to get to mars. Some of these get slingshotted around the earth several times (and even venus IIRC) to get to the outer planets, Venus may be possible as it is moving the fastest in it’s orbit (besides mercury, but that’s too small too far too much in the wrong direction for this), Venus is close and also fast, so might be worth it to go in to come out faster. And a craft leaving earth heading towards Venus would have a much greater velocity than Venus due to the gravity of the sun. Jupiter however is responsible for the fastest probe we ever sent, Voyager 1 so Jupiter is also a option. The other option I can think of is a highly elliptical orbit around Saturn, even an aerial capture maneuver, but that velocity seems too high. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/11 "2017-04-28T14:01:53Z")
The max speed was 2 years after launch. I don’t think Cassini could get to Jupiter or Saturn that quickly? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/12 "2017-04-28T16:04:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Where is Cassini Now? I assume his remains are in Paris. [That’s where he died, and had spent the last fortysome years of his life.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Domenico_Cassini#Moving_to_France) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/13 "2017-04-28T16:35:44Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > The max speed was 2 years after launch. I don’t think Cassini could get to Jupiter or Saturn that quickly? Ftom WiKi: > [@](#): > > Cassini mission included several gravitational slingshot maneuvers: two fly-by passes of Venus, one more of the Earth, and then one of the planet Jupiter. The terrestrial flyby was the final instance when the Cassini space probe posed any conceivable danger to human beings. The maneuver was successful, with Cassini passing by 1,171 km (728 mi) above the Earth on August 18, 1999.[39] > **[Cassini–Huygens | Itinerary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens#Itinerary)** > > Cassini–Huygens's origins date to 1982, when the European Science Foundation and the American National Academy of Sciences formed a working group to investigate future cooperative missions. Two European scientists suggested a paired Saturn Orbiter and Titan Probe as a possible joint mission. In 1983, NASA's Solar System Exploration Committee recommended the same Orbiter and Probe pair as a core NASA project. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) performed a joint study of the potential mission... So mars was not in the picture. Since it was launched in 10-15-97, and made it’s second swing by earth in 6-18-99 is it possible that the earth was the boost to the highest speed as igt is apx 2 years, but Venus is not out of the picture and as orbital velocities would be higher there and the planets may be very close (still apx within the 2 years). But yes if it was 2 years into the mission and did a earth flyby in that year, Jupiter, and Saturn is out of the picture, along with Mars as it never got there. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/14 "2017-04-28T16:44:15Z")
Looking further into the WiKi: > [@](#): > > The Cassini space probe performed two gravitational-assist flybys of Venus on April 26, 1998, and June 24, 1999. These flybys provided the space probe with enough momentum to travel all the way out to the asteroid belt. At that point, the Sun’s gravity pulled the space probe back into the inner Solar System. > On August 18, 1999, at 03:28 UTC, the craft made a gravitational-assist flyby of the Earth. One hour and 20 minutes before closest approach, Cassini made its closest approach to the Earth’s Moon at 377,000 kilometers, and it took a series of calibration photos. > On January 23, 2000, Cassini performed a flyby of the asteroid 2685 Masursky at around 10:00 UTC. It took photos[45] in the period five to seven hours before the flyby at a distance of 1.6 million kilometers, and a diameter of 15 to 20 km was estimated for the asteroid. So the 2 year time frame fits both earth and Venus. The orbital speeds from Venus to the Asteroid Belt seem higher than that of the earth to Jupiter (where it got another boost), as the astroid belt is pretty close to the big J. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/15 "2017-04-28T18:55:20Z")
Hey thanks for the info. From Wiki’s timeline and from this, > [@](#): > > The maximum speed clocked by Cassini was 98,346 mph (44 kilometers per second) relative to the sun on June 25, 1999 we know that v max was from the second Venus slingshot. Here’s a brief timeline: 1997-10-15: Earth (launch) 1998-04-26: Venus slingshot (176 mi - distance) 1999-06-24: Venus slingshot (3,761 mi) 1999-06-25: v max, 98,346 mph 1999-08-18: Earth-Moon system, slingshot (728 mi - per Wikipedia, is this distance to center of mass of E-M system? I would hope so!) 2000-12-30: Jupiter slingshot (6,122,323 mi) 2004-07-01: Saturn (orbital insertion) 2005-01-14: Titan (landed, Huygens Lander) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/16 "2017-04-28T23:05:33Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I assume his remains are in Paris. [That’s where he died, and had spent the last fortysome years of his life.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Domenico_Cassini#Moving_to_France) [Église Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas, Paris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/17 "2017-09-13T19:43:03Z")
Bumped. A nice NYT short film and article on Cassini’s last days: [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/science/cassini-saturn-nasa.html?mcubz=1](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/science/cassini-saturn-nasa.html?mcubz=1) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/18 "2017-09-13T21:46:55Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-cassini-now/785276/19 "2017-09-14T00:10:55Z")
Oleg Cassini, dammit!