Saturn: Jewel of the Solar System - Cassini Mission to Saturn and Titan - Exploratorium

On October 15, 1997, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, loaded with an array of powerful instruments, rocketed into space on a seven-year journey to Saturn and its vicinity. On July 1, 2004 Universal Time (June 30 in U.S. time zones), the spacecraft began orbiting Saturn for four years, flying close to several of its thirty-plus moons. The Huygens probe will separate from Cassini in December 2004, dive down through the thick, cloudy atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and land on Titan's surface in January 2005. Scientists expect that this extended tour of the Saturnian region will provide new information about the planets composition and atmosphere and its mysterious moons and rings. They also hope to learn more about the formation of the solar system. On this Web site (which will expand in winter 2004), we'll explore Saturn and its environs, adding new images and information as they become available.