Enceladus Flyby 22 ( E-22): Final Visit to Enceladus

This will be the last targeted Enceladus flyby of the mission. The CIRS instrument will observe the moon's south polar terrain. By the time the mission concludes on 2017, Cassini will have obtained observations over six years of winter darkness in the moon's southern hemisphere. These are ideal conditions for improving measurements of heat flow from the interior to the surface. Understanding heat flow is important because it provides key information on what is driving the geysers.

Date
Dec. 19, 2015

Altitude
3,106 miles (4,999 km)

Speed (rel. to Enceladus)
21,251 mph (9.5 km/sec)