The last moments of Cassini's life.

The NASA aerospace agency showed the first results of data analysis, which the Cassini probe transmitted just before the fall to Saturn. In particular, the researchers revealed details of the probe's entry into the dense layers of the planet's atmosphere. This is reported in a press release on the agency's website.

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"Cassini" was launched in 1997. His main mission was to study Saturn, as well as its system of rings and satellites. In 2004, the probe arrived to the planet and became its first artificial satellite. He also delivered the descent vehicle Huygens, which later landed on the surface of Titan, the moon of Saturn.

By early 2017, "Cassini" spent most of the fuel, so scientists decided to end the mission. Her final stage, known as the "Grand Final", was launched on April 22, when the Cassini changed the flight path due to the gravitational maneuver of Titan. After that, the interplanetary station performed a series of 22 dives between the planet and its system of rings. The work of the device ended with a fall on Saturn, during which the "Cassini" was to burn in the dense layers of the gas shell of the planet.

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At the entrance to the dense layers of the planet's atmosphere, the probe transmitted data to the Earth. Most of the information is still being processed, but the mission team has already told what happened to Cassini during the fall. The researchers analyzed the work of the engines, which stabilized the device and kept its antenna directed to our planet.

Before the final fall to Saturn, Cassini was in the rarefied layers of the planet's atmosphere. Its density was approximately the same as the density of the Earth's atmosphere at the height of the orbit of the International Space Station (408 kilometers). However, the "Cassini" moved and at a speed of 4.5 times more. At the same time, the station's flight was calm - it only rocked slightly forward and backward and stabilized its position, including the thrust engines every few minutes.

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When the "Cassini" was at an altitude of 1900 kilometers above the upper layer of the clouds of Saturn, it began to enter a denser part of the atmosphere. A magnetometer measuring 11 meters long at this time was directed to the side, so the counterflow of gas began to slowly rotate the probe. To "Cassini" is still focused on the Earth, the engines began to turn on more often.

For the last 91 seconds, the probe engines worked almost continuously: they reached 100% power 20 seconds before the signal lost. During the final 8 seconds, the Cassini began to tip back. The antenna changed its orientation, so the radio signal stopped reaching the Earth. At 14:55 Moscow time, NASA received the last message from the probe.

During the work of "Cassini" has collected a huge array of scientific data, which allowed researchers to make a lot of discoveries.

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