We love space here at MCM Towers and the Cassini mission has been on our minds a lot recently. After 13 years orbiting Saturn and taking incredible photos, the probe will take its final bow this Friday and crash into the planet. It’s a bitter sweet moment but Cassini is making its final hours absolutely count. The ship has flown between Saturn and its rings taking photos as it goes and is going to be sending back data all the way to the end.

Here’s a video explaining the end of the mission:

Here’s a link to the astonishing raw photos from the mission. The entire mission. Because we can do that now; we live in a world where a probe at the far end of the solar system can send back photos for everyone to look at. That’s AMAZING, and so are these incredible shots.

And finally here’s a shot of Titan, Saturn’s biggest moon which Cassini visited for the last time earlier this week.

What an incredible mission it’s been. The other end of the solar system has felt a lot closer for these last few years and we’ll miss both that, and Cassini, when it goes. Thanks, Cassini.

And thanks to io9 for the story that led us to this trail head of awesome science links.