The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Illustration of the trajectory of the Cassini mission between November 2016 and September 2017.
Following a series of ring-grazing orbits that started in November 2016 (grey), the mission executed its 127th and final close flyby of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, on 22 April 2017. The orbit of Titan is shown in yellow.
This manoeuvre put the spacecraft onto its ‘grand finale’ trajectory: a series of 22 orbits, each lasting about a week, drawing closer to Saturn and passing between the planet's innermost rings and its outer atmosphere (blue). Eventually, Cassini will plunge and burn up into Saturn’s atmosphere on 15 September 2017 (orange), satisfying planetary protection requirements to avoid possible contamination of any moons of Saturn that could have conditions suitable for life.