REVOLUTIONARY

Spacecraft Sends Pics Back From Saturn’s Rings

NASA re-establishes signal with Cassini spacecraft.

A spacecraft hovering between Saturn and its signature rings has successfully sent information back to Earth. The Cassini spacecraft was diving in Wednesday when NASA lost its connection. But the signal came back early Thursday, allowing Cassini to send back pictures of the rings. “No spacecraft has ever been this close to Saturn before,” said Earl Maize, the Cassini program director at NASA. “We could only rely on prediction, based on our experience with Saturn’s other things, of what we thought this gap between the rings and Saturn would be like. I am delighted to report that Cassini shot through the gap just as we planned and has come out the other side in excellent shape.”