• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

How to Watch Cassini’s Grand Death Dive Into Saturn

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 14, 2017, 4:24 PM ET

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will make a death dive into Saturn on Friday, ending a 20-year mission that involved gathering data and photographing the ringed planet and its moons.

The space agency will livestream the spacecraft, officially known as Cassini-Huygens, making its “grand finale” from its video site, NASA TV, and its YouTube channel. The show is expected to kick off at 7 am EST and run through 8:30 am EST.

Viewers won’t be able to see Cassini disintegrating in Saturn’s atmosphere live (the last signal from the spacecraft is expected around 7:55 am EST). But NASA plans to show animated clips of its final journey and provide commentary.

NASA, in partnership with and the European and Italian space agencies, launched the spacecraft—named after the astronomer Giovanni Cassini—in October 1997 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. After traveling for seven years, Cassini finally reached Saturn, where it remained in the planet’s orbit to gather information and take pictures.

While near Saturn, the spacecraft has taken over 450,000 images, leading to the discovery of six named moons. The data it collected was used as the basis of nearly 4,000 science papers, according to NASA. Overall, it’s traveled nearly 5 billion miles in space.

NASA has described Cassini’s mission as “one of the most ambitious efforts in planetary space exploration ever mounted.”

You can watch an embedded video of the live event below:

With Cassini’s fuel running low, NASA and other participating space agencies decided to crash the spacecraft into Saturn’s atmosphere in order to prevent any contamination by any Earth microbes that may be inside. During its descent into the atmosphere, the Cassini spacecraft will continue to collect information about Saturn’s atmosphere.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Because of the time it takes for radio signals to reach Earth, there will be an 83-minute delay in getting information back from Cassini. So while Cassini’s final moments will be around 6:31 AM EST, people on Earth won’t get confirmation until well after the fact.

“The spacecraft’s final signal will be like an echo,” Cassini project manager Earl Maize said in a statement. “It will radiate across the solar system for nearly an hour and a half after Cassini itself has gone.”

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

GameStop making $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, WSJ says
RetailRetail
GameStop making $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, WSJ says
By Se Young Lee and BloombergMay 3, 2026
43 minutes ago
Hong Kong is the hub for China’s AI IPOs. It can be so much more than that
CommentaryHong Kong
Hong Kong is the hub for China’s AI IPOs. It can be so much more than that
By Brian Wong and Tony ChanMay 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Chinese court rules firms can’t lay off workers on AI grounds
AIChina
Chinese court rules firms can’t lay off workers on AI grounds
By Victor Swezey and BloombergMay 3, 2026
9 hours ago
jason corso
Commentarydisruption
AI models are choking on junk data
By Jason CorsoMay 3, 2026
11 hours ago
Sam Altman speaks into a microphone
AILabor
Sam Altman says the quiet part out loud, confirming some companies are ‘AI washing’ by blaming unrelated layoffs on the technology
By Sasha RogelbergMay 3, 2026
12 hours ago
Zoom is giving away $150K to ‘solopreneurs’ with no strings attached—as 33 million workers ditch corporate to become their own boss
SuccessCareers
Zoom is giving away $150K to ‘solopreneurs’ with no strings attached—as 33 million workers ditch corporate to become their own boss
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 3, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
America got rich and got sad. A top economist says 2020 broke something that hasn't healed
Economy
America got rich and got sad. A top economist says 2020 broke something that hasn't healed
By Nick LichtenbergMay 3, 2026
14 hours ago
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisMay 2, 2026
1 day ago
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
3 days ago
I spent a decade selling homes to the ultra-wealthy. What I saw explains the housing market's nepo problem
Commentary
I spent a decade selling homes to the ultra-wealthy. What I saw explains the housing market's nepo problem
By Blake O'ShaughnessyMay 3, 2026
13 hours ago
Sam Altman says the quiet part out loud, confirming some companies are ‘AI washing’ by blaming unrelated layoffs on the technology
AI
Sam Altman says the quiet part out loud, confirming some companies are ‘AI washing’ by blaming unrelated layoffs on the technology
By Sasha RogelbergMay 3, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.