As I said a few posts back, I am a huge space science dork.  My top 5 favorite NASA probes are:

1. Voyager

2. Cassini

3. Viking

4. Galileo

5. Spirit & Opportunity

Number two on that list disintegrated in the atmosphere of Saturn today.  Cassini was in orbit around Saturn for 7 years and made some of the most fantastic encounters of any planetary mission.  The most amazing discovery concerns a little moon called Enceladus.  Through Cassini, scientists have determined that Enceladus has a global subsurface saltwater ocean that might host hydrothermal vents.  It's probably our best bet for finding life in our solar system.

But Cassini was running out of fuel and rather than risk crashing into a moon and contaminating it, the folks at NASA decided to plunge the spacecraft into Saturn.  Cassini will dive into the planet's atmosphere, sending science data for as long as its small thrusters can keep the spacecraft's antenna pointed at Earth. Soon after, Cassini will burn up and disintegrate like a meteor.

This mix is a Requiem for Cassini.  Rather than an electronic, space music feel I went with all neo-classical and soundtrack cuts. The track titles tell the story.

Thanks to NASA and everyone on the Cassini team.

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    David Sylvian - Preparations for a Journey