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Launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. -
Period: to
Saturn mission
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The spacecraft passes Venus for the first time.
The spacecraft passes Venus for the first time. -
It travels past Venus again.
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It passes Earth for the first time.
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Starts a 6 month orbit and study of Jupiter.
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Cassini arrives at Saturn and begins to pass Titan and other moons.
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The Huygens probe is released on to Titan.
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Titan is revealed to be very similar to Earth in terms of structure.
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Lakes are found on the surface of Titan.
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More lightly coloured rings are discovered when Saturn is backlit by the Sun.
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The original mission is finished, so an extension mission is launched.
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It is proven that there is hydrocarbon in the water on Titan.
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The extension mission is completed, so 2nd extension mission begins.
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A huge storm approaches the northern region of Saturn, this later becomes the largest and most visible one seen on Saturn.
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A vortex (as in a whirling mass of air) is predicted to be forming in the South pole of Titan.
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Hopeful completion of the 2nd extension mission.
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The Cassini Huygens shuttle is predicted to start to orbit the outermost rings of Saturn.
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The shuttle is predicted to start to orbit around the closer rings to Saturn.