First photos released from Cassini’s new orbit
The Cassini spacecraft has sent back the first views from its new orbit around Saturn.
Last month, the probe, a joint endeavour of NASA, ESA and the Italian space agency, began a new phase of its mission.
The phase will end with Cassini being destroyed in the atmosphere of Saturn, which it has been studying for 12 years.
The new photos show the hexagonal storm in Saturn’s northern hemisphere.
Cassini began its orbits on 30 November. Each of these week-long orbits – 20 in all – lifts the spacecraft high above Saturn’s northern hemisphere before sending it hurtling past the outer edges of the planet’s main rings.
NASA said that it would release images from future passes that included some of the closest-ever views of the outer rings and small moons that orbit there.
Carolyn Porco, the head of Cassini’s imaging team, said: “This is it, the beginning of the end of our historic exploration of Saturn.
“Let these images – and those to come – remind you that we’ve lived a bold and daring adventure around the Solar System’s most magnificent planet.”
The destructive ending being planned for Cassini is a result of the spacecraft having nearly exhausted its fuel.
Starting from April, Cassini will begin its finale, in which it will make the first of 22 dives through the 2,400km gap between the planet and its innermost ring.
The spacecraft will make its final plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn on 15 September 2017.
