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Comment by obeattie | Hacker News Reader

Cassini has been the most incredible mission… so many fascinating discoveries and wonderful imagery. We really need to do more (far more) missions like this.

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I've really been enjoying it also, we're so far past the expected lifespan of this mission every new picture and reading is a gift; well done to all involved! We get things right sometimes! The software onboard remains a bit of a black box though; I'd really love to know the software architecture of these things...

I'm not too up on the capabilities of Cassini, but considering how long it's been in action would I be right to guess we're not going to get any kind of 'steaming video' of the final dive? Some pics will get picked up before it meets its end in saturn's atmosphere would be great anyway!

I'm hoping we can find enough out with Cassini's swan song to get interest up enough to fund lander missions to Europa and Titan (if we can work out how to totally sterilize things, right?) but I don't think anything is on the cards currently..

Wishlist stuff: I really love the pics; but having HD video streams from twhat he next gen of craft will be would be so amazing, I really hope we get there someday...

I'm very much looking forwards to the James Webb scope when it gets launched too!

Edit: You can see some pics here [0] and one of my favourites [1].

[0] : https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/raw-images/ [1] : https://saturnraw.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/casJPGF...

Those raw images are mind blowing. Kerbal Space Program isn't too far off. :)

https://saturnraw.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/casJPGF...

Just to geek out even more-- I really liked this one of enceladus too [0] ... I wish I knew an astronomer who could explain what that 'shooting star' looking thing is in that pic..

Do you have any ideas?

I'd expect every bit of light to be streaked if it was a long exposure, so it has to be something moving? Massive "I'm totally uneducated on all this stuff" disclaimer -- but if this pic was taken from inside saturn's atmosphere; did it capture a 'shooting star' ??

[0]: https://saturnraw.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/raw/casJPGF...

It's probably a cosmic ray, which overloads the CCD detector in a streak-like pattern as it flies through the focal plane. All uncorrected deep space imagery has them.

Aha; thanks! I'm pretty sure I like the effect even more because of your explanation though!

Both Europa (around Jupiter) and Enceladus (around Saturn) have gas plumes and indications of liquid oceans. The situation is pretty well summarized here: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-missions-provide-new...

There is a mission in formulation for Europa (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-mission-named-europa-c...) and an Enceladus concept called ELF.

I be right to guess we're not going to get any kind of 'steaming video' of the final dive?

We aren't. We aren't likely to get streaming video from an interplanetary probe anytime soon. The Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE/Kaguya had HD video cameras and those didn't transmit in real-time either. And the moon is practically next door.

The photo that you link to shows the rings convex, as if it had been shot from outside the rings. How is that perspective taken from the dive?

Obviously Cassini is in orbit around Saturn, so even before and after the dive the rings should have appeared concave.

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