MAJOR EVENTS OF THE CASSINI MISSION
* OCTOBER 14, 1997: The journey to Saturn begins with lift-off of Cassini and the Huygens probe from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
* APRIL 25, 1998: Cassini-Huygens flies by Venus, getting within about 284km of the surface of planet.
* DECEMBER 1999-April 2000: Cassini becomes the seventh spacecraft ever to fly through the asteroid belt.
* OCTOBER 31, 2002: Cassini takes an image of Saturn during a camera test from a distance almost twice that between the Earth and the sun. It does not actually arrive at Saturn for nearly another two years.
* MAY 31, 2004: Cassini discovers two moons scientists didn't know orbited Saturn. They are subsequently named Methone and Pallene.
* JUNE 30, 2004: Cassini becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn.
* DECEMBER 23, 2004: The Huygens probe detaches from Cassini to spend three weeks travelling to Saturn's moon Titan.
* JANUARY 13, 2005: The Huygens probe lands on Titan, Saturn's largest moon.
* MARCH 8, 2006: Scientists announce they've found evidence of liquid water reservoirs on Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons.
* JULY 21, 2006: Cassini's radar discovers several small lakes on Titan.
* JUNE 23, 2009: Scientists find salty ice that indicates that Enceladus could have an ocean beneath its surface.
* FEBRUARY 2, 2010: NASA extends Cassini's mission through 2017.
* APRIL 12, 2017: Scientists announce data that indicates hydrogen gas is pouring into Enceladus' ocean. This could provide a chemical energy source for life.
* AUGUST 14: Cassini begins last of five "ultra-close" passes through Saturn's atmosphere.
* SEPTEMBER 15: Final plunge to Saturn, with Cassini expected to break up in the atmosphere.
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