
Cassini: Mission to Saturn: NASA's Cassini Mission Prepares for Grand Finale - rbanffy
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/3013/nasas-cassini-mission-prepares-for-grand-finale-at-saturn/
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sohkamyung
I think the timeline and discoveries made by the Cassini mission need to be
understood in context to understand why the Cassini mission is being ended in
this way. This document [1], I think, gives the details.

The main points from the article:

\- Cassini was launched at a time when it wasn't known that Saturn could
harbour life. From the article: _The Cassini-Huygens mission to the Saturn
system has revealed that there is potential for life where previously not
thought possible._

\- once Cassini revealed this possibility of life, it was too late to make
sure it didn't contaminate the environment. Hence the decision to plunge into
Saturn. From the article: _Lebreton also explained that Cassini does not
comply with the planetary protection principles. Accordingly, care will be
taken to ensure that Cassini does not crash into a body which has a
significant chance for hosting life, such as Enceladus._

[1] [http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/space-
exploration/extrate...](http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/space-
exploration/extraterrestrial-life/cassini-huygens-preventing-biological-
contamination/)

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kitsunesoba
If you haven't already watched the video embedded in the article, I highly
recommend doing so. It's beautiful work by Erik Wernquist, who also produced
_Wanderers_ , _New Horizons_ , and the first official music video for Jamie
xx's _Gosh_.

[https://vimeo.com/108650530](https://vimeo.com/108650530)

[https://vimeo.com/132183032](https://vimeo.com/132183032)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNssEVlB6M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNssEVlB6M)

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jessriedel
Is the idea really that the moons of Saturn might be contaminated by microbial
life that has survived attached to Cassini for 20 years? But we're not
worrying about the Mars landers? I don't get it.

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IndianAstronaut
Saturn's moons are much more likely to spread any contamination due to the
presence of liquids. Liquid water on Enceldus and hydrocarbon lakes on Titan.

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jessriedel
I assume you're just guessing, right? We already landed something on Titan!
And small patches of liquid brine exists on Mars; obviously unlikely, but so
is Cassini drilling through 5 miles of ice to reach to liquid water water
inside Enceladus.

