Cassini mission ends as spacecraft disintegrates in Saturn’s atmoshere

Project manager Earl Maize packs up his workspace in Mission Control after the end of the Cassini mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Engineer Mar Vaquero monitors the status of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft as it enters the atmosphere of Saturn.

Engineer Nancy Vandermay, left, wipes away tears inside Mission Control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after confirmation of Cassini’s demise.

Cassini team members Scott Eddington, left, and Nora Alonge embrace after Cassini burned up in Saturn’s atmosphere.

Cassini team members gather with a 1/2-scale model of the Cassini spacecraft to watch the final minutes of the Cassini mission to Saturn on a screen at the Jet Propulsion Lab auditorium.

Atmospheric scientist Andrew Ingersoll gathers with team members at JPL to watch the final minutes before Cassini burns up in Saturn’s atmosphere.

Cassini team members Richard French and Colleen McGhee-French shed tears as the Cassini mission to Saturn ends.

Scott Brachman and 12-year-old son Ben watch the screen at Caltech, where people involved in JPL’s Cassini mission celebrated its grand finale. Brachman’s wife works in the main control room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where the JPL-managed Cassini spacecraft ended its mission to Saturn.

People at Caltech in Pasadena watch a video feed from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. The two parties were watching the JPL-based Cassini mission to Saturn come to an end.

Kelsey Nannini, a Cal State Fullerton marine biology student, takes a selfie at Caltech, where people involved in JPL’s Cassini mission celebrated the spacecraft’s ending of its mission to Saturn.

Alana Buckley, right, and sister Mariya Buckley grab posters at Caltech.