Cassini’s Saturn discoveries led to space aircraft destruction

Cassini was launched in October 1997 and began orbiting Saturn in June 2004.

The data it transmitted since then was invaluable to astronomers investigating the origins of Saturn, its rings and moons.

Cassini discovered a vast ocean of water and a methane sea on both moons, which is why scientists decided to destroy the spacecraft, fearing it could contaminate those bodies of liquid.

Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi reports from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.