On April 21, the Cassini will make a final flight past Titan and will display surface seas and lakes for the last time using a radar.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft for the last time will rush past the satellite of Saturn Titan. The mission will have another final opportunity to enjoy a close view of the lakes and seas of liquid carbon spreading across the northern polar region of the satellite. The radar will help to look through the haze and get detailed images.
The closest passage is expected on April 21. The device will come closer to 979 km at a speed of 21,000 km / h. This is also another stage before the Grand Finale of Cassini - the last pass through the rings, expected on September 15, after which the unit will plunge into the atmosphere of the planet and break. On April 21, the satellite’s gravity will affect Cassini’s orbit and slow it down, so that it will not fly past the rings, but will start the diving process. Span - 127th Cassini's purposeful meeting with Titan. For this, the device specifically uses a rocket engine to aim at a specific place. The radar device will search for changes in methane seas and lakes, as well as try to study the depth and composition of smaller bodies of water. Also, his goal is to find the “magic island” of a satellite - a mysterious object in the lunar sea that changes its appearance. Scientists hope that this will help us understand what is before us: waves, bubbles, floating debris or something else.
