Grand Finale ‘radio science’ is being transmitted by Cassini to Earth to extract important information on how gravity affects the spacecraft’s motion or how matter through which the signals travel affects them.
Our Ops image of the week shows how Saturn’s moon gravity influences the patterns of the ringlets, in this image taken by the Cassini onboard camera, developed by NASA/JPL. Radio science observations require a meticulous sequence of contacts with ground stations, ESA ESTRACK and NASA DSN are performing a series of complex link-ups to support this phase of Cassini’s Grand Finale. See http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Highlights/Mind_the_gap
operations image of the week: Cassini is providing new insights into Jupiter and its enigmatic rings thanks to ESA and NASA antennas working together
