The Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn is the most ambitious effort in planetary space exploration ever undertaken. A joint endeavour of the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), a sophisticated robotic spacecraft was sent to orbit the ringed planet and study the Saturnian system in detail, initially over a four-year period (mid-2004 to mid-2008). On board Cassini, was a lander called Huygens that was released from the spacecraft to parachute through the atmosphere to the surface of Saturn’s largest and most interesting moon, Titan, in January 2005. In April 2008, the mission was extended for another two years, until September 2010, and was named the Cassini Equinox Mission. A second extended mission, called the 'Cassini Solstice Mission' will continue until September 2017.
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