Exploration of Saturn - wikipedia Exploration of Saturn Artwork utilizing exploration data, as revealed in `` Sternstunden '' in Oberhausen Summary of missions to the outer Solar System System Spacecraft Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Pioneer 10 1973 flyby Pioneer 11 1974 flyby 1979 flyby Voyager 1 1979 flyby 1980 flyby Voyager 2 1979 flyby 1981 flyby 1986 flyby 1989 flyby Galileo 1995 -- 2003 orbiter ; 1995, 2003 atmospheric Ulysses 1992, 2004 gravity assist Cassini -- Huygens 2000 gravity assist 2004 -- 2017 orbiter ; 2005 Titan lander New Horizons 2007 gravity assist 2015 flyby Juno 2016 -- orbiter The exploration of Saturn has been solely performed by crewless probes. Three missions were flybys, which formed an extended foundation of knowledge about the system. The Cassini -- Huygens spacecraft, launched in 1997, was in orbit from 2004 to 2017. Contents 1 Flybys 1.1 Pioneer 11 flyby 1.2 Voyager 2 Cassini orbiter 3 Proposed missions 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Flybys Pioneer 11 flyby Pioneer 11 image of Saturn. Saturn was first visited by Pioneer 11 in September 1979. It flew within 20,000 km of the top of the planet 's cloud layer. Low - resolution images were acquired of the planet and a few of its moons ; the resolution of the images was not good enough to discern surface features. The spacecraft also studied the rings ; among the discoveries were the thin F - ring and the fact that dark gaps in the rings are bright when viewed towards the Sun, or in other words, they are not empty of material. Pioneer 11 also measured the temperature of Titan at 250 K. Voyager Main article : Voyager program In November 1980, the Voyager 1 probe visited the Saturn system. It sent back the first high - resolution images of the planet, rings, and satellites. Surface features of various moons were seen for the first time. Because of the earlier discovery of a thick atmosphere on Titan, the Voyager controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory elected for Voyager 1 to make a close approach of Titan. This greatly increased knowledge of the atmosphere of the moon, but also proved that Titan 's atmosphere is impenetrable in visible wavelengths, so no surface details were seen. The flyby also changed the spacecraft 's trajectory out from the plane of the Solar System which prevented Voyager 1 from completing the Planetary Grand Tour of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Almost a year later, in August 1981, Voyager 2 continued the study of the Saturn system. More close - up images of Saturn 's moons were acquired, as well as evidence of changes in the rings. Voyager 2 probed Saturn 's upper atmosphere with its radar, to measure temperature and density profiles. Voyager 2 found that at the highest levels ( 7 kilopascals pressure ) Saturn 's temperature was 70 K ( − 203 ° C ) ( i.e. 70 degrees above absolute zero ), while at the deepest levels measured ( 120 kilopascals ) the temperature increased to 143 K ( − 130 ° C ). The north pole was found to be 10 K cooler, although this may be seasonal. Unfortunately, during the flyby, the probe 's turnable camera platform stuck for a couple of days and some planned imaging was lost. Saturn 's gravity was used to direct the spacecraft 's trajectory towards Uranus. The probes discovered and confirmed several new satellites orbiting near or within the planet 's rings. They also discovered the small Maxwell and Keeler gaps in the rings. Cassini orbiter Saturn eclipses the Sun, as seen from Cassini. On July 1, 2004, the Cassini -- Huygens spacecraft performed the SOI ( Saturn Orbit Insertion ) maneuver and entered into orbit around Saturn. Before the SOI, Cassini had already studied the system extensively. In June 2004, it had conducted a close flyby of Phoebe, sending back high - resolution images and data. The orbiter completed two Titan flybys before releasing the Huygens probe on December 25, 2004. Huygens descended onto the surface of Titan on January 14, 2005, sending a flood of data during the atmospheric descent and after the landing. During 2005 Cassini conducted multiple flybys of Titan and icy satellites. On March 10, 2006, NASA reported that the Cassini probe found evidence of liquid water reservoirs that erupt in geysers on Saturn 's moon Enceladus. On September 20, 2006, a Cassini probe photograph revealed a previously undiscovered planetary ring, outside the brighter main rings of Saturn and inside the G and E rings. In July 2006, Cassini saw the first proof of hydrocarbon lakes near Titan 's north pole, which was confirmed in January 2007. In March 2007, additional images near Titan 's north pole discovered hydrocarbon `` seas '', the largest of which is almost the size of the Caspian Sea. In 2009, the probe discovered and confirmed four new satellites. Its primary mission ended in 2008, when the spacecraft completed 74 orbits around the planet. In 2010, the probe began its first extended mission, the Cassini Equinox Mission. The Cassini Solstice Mission, the second mission extension, lasted through September 2017. The mission ended on September 15, 2017, after a planned atmospheric entry into the planet Saturn. For the latest information and news releases, see Cassini website. Proposed missions Missions to Saturn face competition from missions to other Solar System bodies The Titan Saturn System Mission ( TSSM ) was a joint NASA / ESA proposal for an exploration of Saturn and its moons Titan and Enceladus, where many complex phenomena have been revealed by the recent Cassini -- Huygens mission. TSSM was competing against the Europa Jupiter System Mission proposal for funding. In February 2009 it was announced that ESA / NASA had given the EJSM mission priority ahead of TSSM, although TSSM will continue to be studied for a later launch date. The Titan Saturn System Mission ( TSSM ) was created by the merging of the ESA 's Titan and Enceladus Mission ( TandEM ) with NASA 's Titan Explorer 2007 flagship study. Other proposed missions to the Saturn system are : 2010 JPL : Journey to Enceladus and Titan ( JET ) 2011 Titan Mare Explorer ( TiME ) ; an aquatic lander that would explore the methane lakes of the moon Titan. This mission was given US $3 million in May 2011 to develop a detailed concept study as a part of the NASA Discovery program. 2012 DLR : Enceladus Explorer ( EnEx ), a lander with an ice mole. 2012 JPL : Life Investigation For Enceladus ( LIFE ) a sample - return. 2015 JPL : Enceladus Life Finder ( ELF ) References ^ Jump up to : Brown, Dwayne ; Cantillo, Laurie ; Dyches, Preston ( September 15, 2017 ). `` NASA 's Cassini Spacecraft Ends Its Historic Exploration of Saturn ''. NASA. Retrieved September 15, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Chang, Kenneth ( September 14, 2017 ). `` Cassini Vanishes Into Saturn, Its Mission Celebrated and Mourned ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2017. Jump up ^ http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/pioneer/PN10&11.html Archived 2006 - 01 - 30 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Cassini -- Huygens : News Archived 2008 - 03 - 03 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ New Ring Spotted Around Saturn Archived 2006 - 09 - 20 at the Wayback Machine. -- Article on CNN.com. Jump up ^ Cassini Solstice Mission Jump up ^ http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=106 Jump up ^ NASA and ESA Prioritize Outer Planet Missions Jump up ^ Jupiter in space agencies ' sights Jump up ^ Kane, Van ( 3 April 2014 ). `` Discovery Missions for an Icy Moon with Active Plumes ''. The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 09. Jump up ^ Brabaw, Kasandra ( April 7, 2015 ). `` IceMole Drill Built to Explore Saturn 's Icy Moon Enceladus Passes Glacier Test ''. Space.com. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 09. Jump up ^ Wall, Mike ( December 6, 2012 ). `` Saturn Moon Enceladus Eyed for Sample - Return Mission ''. Space.com. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 10. Jump up ^ Tsou, Peter ; Anbar, Ariel ; Atwegg, Kathrin ; Porco, Carolyn ; Baross, John ; McKay, Christopher ( 2014 ). `` LIFE - Enceladus Plume Sample Return via Discovery '' ( PDF ). 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 10. Jump up ^ Tsou, Peter ( 2013 ). `` LIFE : Life Investigation For Enceladus - A Sample Return Mission Concept in Search for Evidence of Life ''. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original (. doc ) on 2015 - 09 - 01. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 10. Jump up ^ Enceladus Life Finder 2015, PDF. Further reading Hannu Karttunen ; et al. ( 1996 ), Fundamental Astronomy ( 3rd ed. ), New York : Springer, ISBN 978 - 3 - 540 - 60936 - 0, retrieved February 21, 2012. NASA / JPL -- Caltech ( October 18, 2010 ). `` Voyager Science Results : Saturn ''. voyager.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 21, 2012. External links NASA 's Cassini mission to Saturn Saturn Outline of Saturn Geography Dragon Storm Great White Spot Hexagon Magnetosphere Rings Moons S / 2009 S 1 Ring moonlets Pan Daphnis Atlas Prometheus S / 2004 S 6 S / 2004 S 4 S / 2004 S 3 Pandora Epimetheus Janus Aegaeon Mimas Methone Anthe Pallene Enceladus Tethys Telesto Calypso Dione Helene Polydeuces Rhea Titan Hyperion Iapetus Kiviuq Ijiraq Phoebe Paaliaq Skathi Albiorix S / 2007 S 2 Bebhionn Erriapus Skoll Siarnaq Tarqeq S / 2004 S 13 Greip Hyrrokkin Jarnsaxa Tarvos Mundilfari S / 2006 S 1 S / 2004 S 17 Bergelmir Narvi Suttungr Hati S / 2004 S 12 Farbauti Thrymr Aegir S / 2007 S 3 Bestla S / 2004 S 7 S / 2006 S 3 Fenrir Surtur Kari Ymir Loge Fornjot Astronomy Delta Octantis Saturn - crossing minor planets Exploration Cassini -- Huygens ( Huygens ) timeline retirement Pioneer 11 Voyager program Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Related Fiction Saturn Moons In Saturn 's Rings ( 2018 documentary ) Exploration of the Solar System Timeline of Solar System exploration Exploration of Mercury Venus Moon Mars Ceres Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Artificial objects On extra-terrestrial surfaces Moon Venus Mars In space Heliocentric orbit Leaving the Solar System Lists Solar System probes Landings on extraterrestrial bodies Objects at Lagrangian points Space exploration outline timeline Spacecraft missions to Saturn Orbiters Cassini -- Huygens timeline retirement Landers Huygens ( Titan ) Flybys Pioneer 11 Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Proposed missions AVIATR Dragonfly Enceladus Life Finder ( Enceladus only ) Enceladus Explorer ( Enceladus only ) Explorer of Enceladus and Titan Journey to Enceladus and Titan Kronos Life Investigation For Enceladus ( Enceladus only ) Oceanus ( Titan only ) Saturn Atmospheric Entry Probe Saturn Ring Observer SPRITE TALISE ( Titan only ) Titan Mare Explorer ( Titan only ) Titan Saturn System Mission Former plans Soviet mission plan There are no ongoing missions to Saturn Voyager program Spacecraft Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Components MHW - RTG Cosmic Ray Subsystem ( CRS ) Voyager Golden Record ( Contents ) Work Pale Blue Dot Family Portrait Voyager team Stamatios Krimigis Carolyn Porco Raymond Heacock Jim Blinn Edward C. Stone Timothy Ferris Related Gravity assist Radioisotope thermoelectric generator Specific orbital energy of Voyager 1 Titan IIIE Grand Tour program Observation Targets Enceladus Masubi ( volcano ) Exploration of Jupiter Exploration of Saturn Exploration of Uranus Prometheus ( volcano ) Exploration of Io Rings of Neptune Dunyazad ( crater ) Surt ( volcano ) Shahrazad ( crater ) Pele ( volcano ) The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Ceres Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Haumea Makemake Eris Planets Terrestrial planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Giant planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Dwarf planets Ceres Pluto Haumea Makemake Eris Rings Jovian Saturnian ( Rhean ) Charikloan Chironean Uranian Neptunian Haumean Moons Terrestrial Moon Other near - Earth objects Martian Phobos Deimos Jovian Ganymede Callisto Io Europa all 69 Saturnian Titan Rhea Iapetus Dione Tethys Enceladus Mimas Hyperion Phoebe all 62 Uranian Titania Oberon Umbriel Ariel Miranda all 27 Neptunian Triton Proteus Nereid all 14 Plutonian Charon Nix Hydra Kerberos Styx Haumean Hiʻiaka Namaka Makemakean S / 2015 ( 136472 ) 1 Eridian Dysnomia Lists Solar System objects By size By discovery date Minor planets Gravitationally rounded objects Possible dwarf planets Natural satellites Comets Small Solar System bodies Meteoroids Minor planets moons Comets Damocloids Mercury - crossers Venus - crossers Venus trojans Near - Earth objects Earth - crossers Earth trojans Mars - crossers Mars trojans Asteroid belt Asteroids first discovered : Ceres Pallas Juno Vesta Families Notable asteroids Kirkwood gap Main - belt comets Jupiter trojans Jupiter - crossers Centaurs Saturn - crossers Uranus trojans Uranus - crossers Neptune trojans Cis - Neptunian objects Trans - Neptunian objects Neptune - crossers Plutoids Kuiper belt Plutinos Cubewanos Scattered disc Detached objects Sednoids Hills cloud Oort cloud Hypothetical objects Vulcan Vulcanoids Phaeton Planet V Theia Fifth giant Planets beyond Neptune Tyche Nemesis Planet Nine Exploration ( outline ) Discovery Astronomy Timeline Spaceflight Robotic spacecraft Human spaceflight Colonization List of probes Timeline Mercury Venus Moon Mars Ceres Asteroids Mining Comets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Deep space Outline of the Solar System Portals Solar System Astronomy Earth sciences Mars Jupiter Uranus Cosmology Solar System → Local Interstellar Cloud → Local Bubble → Gould Belt → Orion Arm → Milky Way → Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Observable universe → Universe Each arrow ( → ) may be read as `` within '' or `` part of ''. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Exploration_of_Saturn&oldid=815267696 '' Categories : Saturn Spaceflight Discovery and exploration of the Solar System Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Norsk Occitan 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 December 2017, at 20 : 41. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was saturn last visited by a spacecraft
Answer: 2017