This is an artist's rendition of Cassini's arrival at Saturn in 2004. Sunlight glints off the the spacecraft's magnetometer boom in the lower right. Click on image for full size (24K JPEG) Image courtesy NASA.

The Cassini spacecraft, en route to Saturn, will zoom past Saturn's odd moon Phoebe on June 11, 2004. Cassini will pass within 2,000 km (1,243 miles) of the moon's surface and should send back images with a resolution of 0.3 to 2.1 km (0.2 to 1.3 miles) per pixel. Those should be about 1,000 times better than our best current images of Phoebe, which were captured by Voyager 2 in September 1981.

A few weeks later, Cassini will end its long journey to Saturn, begun in October 1997 with its liftoff from Florida. On July 1, 2004, Cassini will fire its main engine for 96 minutes to slow itself down and go into orbit around Saturn. It will study Saturn, several of its moons, and its amazing ring system for the next four years.

This is what an artist thinks Cassini looks like near Saturn. Click on image for full size (24K JPEG) Image courtesy NASA.

The Cassini spacecraft is on its way to Saturn. It will zoom close past a strange moon of Saturn named Phoebe. Cassini's close flyby of Phoebe will be on June 11, 2004.

The best pictures we have right now of Phoebe are very blurry. Voyager 2 took them in 1981 from quite far away. Cassini will get much closer to Phoebe and should get pictures 1,000 times better than the ones we have now.

In a few weeks, on July 1, 2004, Cassini will fire its engine and go into orbit around Saturn. It will study Saturn, several of its moons, and its cool rings for the next four years.

This is what Cassini may look like near Saturn. Click on image for full size (24K JPEG) Image courtesy NASA.

A spacecraft named Cassini will soon get to Saturn. Cassini will start to orbit Saturn on July 1, 2004. It will study Saturn for the next four years. Cassini had to travel for seven years to get to Saturn from Earth!

A little before Cassini gets to Saturn it will pass close by one of Saturn's moons. That moon is called Phoebe. The only pictures we have of Phoebe now are very fuzzy. Cassini will take pictures of Phoebe 1,000 time better than the fuzzy ones. Cassini will fly by Phoebe on June 11, 2004.