Space Topics: Saturn
Pioneer 11
Successful Jupiter and Saturn flyby (NASA)
Launch: April 5, 1973
Saturn flyby: September 1, 1979
Pioneer 11 was the second spacecraft to explore
the outer solar system (the first being Pioneer 10). Pioneer 11 flew within 21,000
kilometers (13,000 miles) of Saturn's cloud tops. The spacecraft studied the
planet's magnetic field and atmosphere and took pictures of the planet and some
of its moons. After the Saturn flyby it continued on out of the solar system.
Instruments were finally shut down on September 9, 1995, when there was no longer
enough power.
Voyager 1
Successful Jupiter and Saturn flyby (NASA)
Launch: September 5, 1977
Saturn encounter: August 23 to December 15, 1980
Voyager 1 first flew by Jupiter
before traveling on to Saturn. The spacecraft flew by the ringed world on November
12, 1980, coming within 64,200 kilometers (40,000 miles) of the planet's cloud
tops. During the flyby, the spacecraft took almost 16,000 images of Saturn, its
moons, and ring system. As Voyager 1 flew by the planet, controllers on the ground
directed the spacecraft to use Saturn's strong gravity to alter its course. As
a result, Voyager 1 flew up and out of the plane of the ecliptic, allowing scientists
to get an overhead view of the planet and rings. Voyager 1 is currently on an
Interstellar Mission and is the most distant man-made object ever launched, taking
that title from Pioneer 10 on February 17, 1998.
Voyager 2
Successful “Grand Tour” flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune (NASA)
Launch: August 20, 1977
Jupiter encounter: June 5 to September 5, 1981
Voyager 2 first flew by Jupiter, then made its way to Saturn, reaching the ringed
world on August 26, 1981. It flew within 41,000 kilometers (25,400 miles) of
the planet's cloud tops and provided scientists with almost 16,000 images of
the planet, its moons and rings. The spacecraft used Saturn's strong gravity
to change its course and gather speed so it was able to fly on to Uranus and
Neptune. While at Saturn, the two Voyager spacecraft discovered three new moons
of Saturn, the intricate structure and spoke-like features of the ring system,
and information about the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field.
Cassini-Huygens
Currently operating Saturn orbiter (NASA-ASI) and successful Titan atmospheric
probe (ESA)
Launch: October 15, 1997
Saturn orbit insertion: July 1, 2004
Huygens descent: January 14, 2005
The Cassini orbiter is designed to tour Saturn and its icy moons. Cassini
flew by Jupiter in December of 2000 after a lengthy tour of the inner solar
system, including two Venus flybys and an Earth flyby. On December 25,
2004, the Huygens probe (designed by the European Space Agency) separated
from the Cassini orbiter. When Huygens descended to Titan on January
14, 2005, it discovered a strange new world of channels and basins. Cassini
will make a total of nearly 80 orbits of Saturn.