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NASA Cassini Mission Finale at Saturn – STEM Education Resources
On Sept. 15, 2017, the Cassini mission, which has spent nearly 13 years at Saturn, will come to an end as the spacecraft makes a dramatic plunge into the ringed giant. The plunge is part of a planned grand finale for the mission, which is on its last fuel reserves after spending years orbiting Saturn and flying by the planet's intriguing moons. The final plunge is designed to protect and preserve Saturn's moons for future exploration – especially the potentially habitable Enceladus.
But before mission controllers bid farewell to Cassini, they will send the spacecraft on a daring series of orbits never tried before. On April 26, Cassini will go where no spacecraft has gone before, flying through the gap between Saturn and its rings. The spacecraft will complete 22 of these historic "Grand Finale" orbits, providing new science and up-close views of Saturn.
› See the NASA news release for more about Cassini's Grand Finale, plus new videos and images.
Visit the event page for a listing of key dates and follow the links below for standards-aligned lessons and resources from NASA/JPL Education.
STEM Education Resources
- Teachable Moments (Coming Soon!) – Stay tuned for all-new Cassini mission lessons and activities from NASA/JPL Education's Teachable Moments blog, which provides tips and tricks for turning the latest NASA discoveries and mission events into lessons for students.
- Lesson: Pi in the Sky 4 – In this math challenge, students use pi to calculate the date of Cassini's Grand Finale plunge into Saturn. Includes a free poster.
- Lesson: Pi in the Sky – In this math challenge, students use pi to solve science and engineering challenges, including calculating the amount of fuel in Cassini's fuel tank. Includes a free poster.
- Lesson: Flying Through the Plume on Saturn's Moon Enceladus – Students learn about Saturn's scientifically intriguing moon Enceladus and investigate its fascinating features, including its ocean and plumes, using math.
- Video: Bouncing Radio Waves Off Titan's Lakes – This animated video shows how NASA's Cassini spacecraft at Saturn used radio science to "peer" beneath the surface of the hazy moon Titan and study its mysterious lakes.
- Slideshow: 8 Real-World Science Facts About Saturn's Moon Enceladus – This slideshow, which includes a free poster, highlights fascinating findings and discoveries about Saturn's moon Enceladus.
- Poster: Ocean Worlds – This free poster depicts the best-known candidates in our search for life in the solar system, which include several moons of Saturn.
Visit the Cassini mission resources page for more resources and links to download posters, materials, videos, images and explore the mission finale interactive.
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