SPACE: The FINAL FRONTIER. These are the TEN-YEAR images of star probe Cassini

Four year space veteran - with awesome photo skills

Cassini was expected to operate for four years, but NASA says the craft “has been remarkably trouble-free”. It is therefore now in its third extended mission and there's no reason it can't keep on - other than the fact there aren't any space probe refuelling stations around Saturn.

Cassini image of Saturn taken on 10 October 2013

Fuel is important because there's so much to see around Saturn and its moons that Cassini needs to nudge itself into advantageous viewing positions. It also needs to keep itself away from the planet's rings, as an encounter with the boulders that comprise them would be fatal.

Artist's impression of Cassini orbiting Saturn

Mission planners know the craft will run out of propellant in late 2016 or early 2017 and are cooking up nothing-to-lose end-of-life mission ideas that may involve a closer look at Saturn's rings or the planet itself.

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More than 3,000 scientific papers have been written based on observations made by Cassini. In recent times we've reported on discoveries like the moon Enceladus' hidden ocean and a so-called Magic Island on Titan.

Saturn's moon Enceladus, complete with suspicious blue streaks

NASA says the craft's biggest hits include discoveries of weather patterns and even rivers on Titan, a peek at a colossal storm on Saturn and revelations that the planet's rings are “a laboratory for how planets form.” ®