
Cassini Makes First Ring-Grazing Plunge - daredave
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6690&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=daily20161205-1#.WEayuTdVm8k.hackernews
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avian
> as it approached the ring plane, Cassini closed its canopy-like engine cover
> as a protective measure.

This part caught my eye. I was not aware Cassini had this feature.

I found a paper about the engine cover mechanism, which is quite interesting:

[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.31....](http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.31.5778&rep=rep1&type=pdf)

And here's a photo of the engine that shows the cover in a stowed position:

[https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/system/content_pages/main_images...](https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/system/content_pages/main_images/58_jpl-28436cc.jpg)

