NASA is broadcasting live right now if you want to watch Cassini snuff it.
Here is the final photo sent back before Cassini plunged to its fiery doom.
Looks kinda…peaceful.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Watched it all on my iPad while eating my oatmeal. I salute Cassini for completing a smooth mission with many surprises in its observations. *raises coffee mug in salute*
NASA TV has a Cassini post-end of mission news conference at 9:30 am EDT, followed by a collection of Cassini videos at 10:30 am EDT. Probably both will be rebroadcast later in the day. Check the NASA TV schedule for times.
Peaceful, and tasteful. Quite the opposite of what Hollywood would make of such an event.
Also thanks to NASA TV for providing UTC time for the news conference and for the End-of-Mission clean feed (Mission Control Room).
Scienceogram UK has a nice graphic about the cost. They point out The Cassini Resource Exchange, an “internal market […] used to keep the spacecraft’s instrument development teams on budget, has since been used for trading pollution permits down here on Earth” (as well as other space missions).
(Originally spotted via the Grauniad’s (now-closed) live blog.)
Must admit I got a little teary reading the WP description of the immediate reaction in the control room after Julie Webster (Space Operations Manager) declared “We call loss of single,” and program manager Earl Maize declared “I’m going to call this the end of mission. Project manager, off the net.” Kind of brings home that these science projects aren’t just gadgets and rocket ships, but people some of whom probably worked together on this project for years. I’ve had the good fortune to be a member of successful teams that worked together for long periods of time, and can relate to the range of feelings they must have.