Uma uthanda umhlaba wesikhala futhi ikakhulukazi ukuhlola esikwenzayo kancane kancane, impela uzokwazi ukuzidela, kanye nokungahleleki okuhle, Cassini, uphenyo olwethulwa emkhathini yi-NASA emuva ngonyaka we-1997. Ngemuva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-20 yokuhamba nokusebenza eSaturn, ingxenye yokugcina yephrojekthi ekugcineni isiqalile lapho UCassini ukugijimela emkhathini ominyene kaSaturn.
Manje, ukuze uCassini abhujiswe ekugcineni kusasele izinyanga eziyishumi, ngaleso sikhathi uphenyo luyoba nesikhathi sokuya ezigxotsheni nasemasongweni eplanethi kunanini ngaphambili eminyakeni eyi-12 beluhlola iSaturn. Ngenxa yale ndlela uphenyo lungacwiliswa emasongweni izikhathi ezingama-22, Isikhathi esiningi sokuthi uCassini athole izithombe ezinemininingwane eminingi yazo futhi anqume ukwakheka kwegesi okukhona kulezo zifunda.
ICassini izoshintsha umzila wayo ukuze ingene futhi ifunde izindandatho zikaSaturn.
Njengomniningwane, akutshele lokho ngakunye kwalokhu kudilika kuzohlala cishe izinsuku eziyi-7. Ngenxa yalesi sikhathi, uCassini angathatha izithombe ezinesinqumo sekhilomitha elilodwa ngephikseli elizokwakhiwa kabusha kamuva ukunquma ukwakheka nokwakheka kwamasongo. Ngalesi sigaba uCassini uzondiza phezu kweSaturn endaweni ephakeme ngamakhilomitha angama-90.000 ngaphezu kwamafu aphakeme kakhulu emhlabeni. Kusukela ngo-Ephreli wangonyaka ozayo uphenyo izocwila kumakhilomitha angaphezulu nje kwe-1.600 XNUMX ukuthola ukuhlola iplanethi ngokujula okukhulu.
Lapho umsebenzi weCassini usuphothuliwe, iNASA ilinganisela ukuthi cishe ngoSepthemba 2017, uphenyo ekugcineni luzogcina lulimaza umoya weSaturn qeda ngomlilo sengathi kunenye imeteorite.