The Cassini, an automated spacecraft from NASA, was commissioned to examine the celestial body of Saturn, its planetary rings, and its accompanying moons. The mission was the result of a cooperative effort from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The journey began with its launch on October 15, 1997.
The year 1997 marked the commencement of an audacious international endeavor helmed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, destined for Saturn. The mission aimed to orbit a spacecraft around the planet and achieve an unprecedented feat of landing ESA’s probe on an outer solar system moon. Despite numerous challenges – budget constraints, possible cancellation threats, and a tug-of-war between scientists’ aspirations and the feasibility from an engineering standpoint – the project persevered through the determined efforts of a global team of scientists and engineers hailing from 27 different nations.
The project had to make multiple compromises time and again, including altering the flight trajectory to Saturn. The spacecraft first had to navigate towards the Sun to reach Venus, not once, but twice. Finally, following an arduous seven-year voyage, the mission’s success hinges on the events of a mere three-hour window. Will Cassini’s infrequently employed main engine ignite and decelerate the spacecraft enough for it to be seized by Saturn’s gravitational pull? Or will the spacecraft meet its end by traversing a gap in Saturn’s rings? The answers await in the first installment of Saturn’s Victory.
This documentary is the newest addition to the series, “JPL’s Era in Space Exploration,” which tells the tale of NASA’s Cassini mission. The films feature seldom-seen archival footage and intimate conversations with trailblazing engineers and scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, revisiting numerous monumental leaps humanity has taken into the cosmos. Courtesy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
JPL’s Era in Space Exploration Video Collection
Episode 1: The American Rocket Pioneer
Episode 2: Explorer 1
Episode 3: Journey to the Moon
Episode 4: Mars’s Dynamic Visage
Episode 5: The Substance of Dreams
Episode 6: Trailing Voyager’s Path
Episode 7: The Savior’s Quest
Episode 8: The Pioneering Scouts
Episode 9: The Tipping Point
Episode 10: Galileo’s Rescue
Episode 11: Voyage to Mars
Episode 12: Touchdown on Mars
Episode 13: Saturn’s Victory – Chapter One
