Artists's Conception of Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion

On July 1, 2004 UTC the Cassini spacecraft ended its journey through the Solar System.

Approach
Cassini approached Saturn from below the ring plane, crossing through the large gap between the F Ring and G Ring.

At this time Cassini was 158,500 kilometers (about 98,500 miles) from Saturn's center. This crossing occurred one hour and 52 minutes prior to the spacecraft's closest approach to Saturn.

Two Waves in One Spectacular Image of Saturn's Rings

The main engine burn began at 01:12 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on July 1, 2004, shortly after Cassini had crossed above the rings. The burn continued for 96 minutes, ending on July 1, 2004 at 02:48 UTC.

	Rings Full of Waves

Cassini coasted above the rings capturing data on Saturn's extensive ring system. This marked the closest that Cassini will ever come to Saturn and its rings during the four-year tour. Data revealed a complex structure in Saturn's ring plane including bending waves, density waves, new details in the F-Ring, and small 'ringlets', just to name a few.

Browse through the amazing details in Saturn's rings in our multimedia section.

Cassini's four-year tour around Saturn is broken into units called "sequences." Lasting from four to six weeks, these divisions help science planners manage the spacecraft's complex schedule.

For scientific and mundane purposes, events are listed in various time formats.

This timeline shows an overview of key events between May 14 and July 30, 2004 -- also known as "tour sequences number one and two," abbreviated as S1 and S2.

These sequences include Phoebe flyby and Saturn Orbit Insertion, the vital maneuver that will place the spacecraft in orbit around the ringed planet, therefore determining the fate of the rest of the mission.

Download the Timeline Overview (PDF, 78 kB)

A more detailed list of events occurring just before Cassini arrives at Saturn is also available.

Download the SOI Insertion Timeline (PDF, 82 kB)

SOI Arrival Geometry