Cassini Space Probe Marks 15 Years of Duty

Has logged 3.8 billion miles in it its studies of Saturn

NASA's Cassini spacecraft marked 15 years in space Monday (Oct. 15), and the well-traveled probe won't stop studying Saturn and its many moons anytime soon.

Cassini has logged more than 3.8 billion miles (6.1 billion kilometers) since its launch on Oct. 15, 1997, researchers said. The spacecraft has made many contributions since arriving at Saturn in July 2004, including discovering water-ice geysers on the moon Encelaudus and snapping the first views of the hydrocarbon lakes on Saturn's largest moon Titan.