But the planners of NASA’s Cassini’s mission had a different idea. “It will be trailblazing until the very last second.”What we learned from Cassini Motion graphic shows highlights of Cassini's missions from 2004-2017. “Getting this close to the rings and the planet, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a scientist like me,” she said. Spilker, who leads Cassini’s 300 scientists, said the decision to send the spacecraft on this final mission was a no-brainer. “Unfortunately, there’s not going to be a substitute for that for a long time.”He paused, and added: “It’s been the ride of a lifetime.”Caption The Great American Eclipse The Great American Eclipse The Great American Eclipse Caption The Great American Eclipse The Great American Eclipse The Great American Eclipse Caption How do frog tongues work?

Source: Los Angeles Times April 26, 2017 10:01 UTC