After almost 20 years in Space, around lunchtime today (GMT) the joint Nasa, and the European & Italian space agencies 'Cassini mission to Saturn' will finally end. 

On its final orbit Cassini will plunge into Saturn's atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour. After losing contact with Earth, the spacecraft will burn up like a meteor, becoming part of the planet itself.

Given all the components on board were pre 1997 and how technology has progress since - this mission and its success is almost beyond belief. See the brilliant NASA website to discover the full story of taking off in the wrong direction for Saturn, gravity assisted speed boosts (and still taking 7 years to get there), new moons and many more mind boggling facts, distances, speeds and photographs.

So what else could we possibly have today other than some space music: This is The Illusion with 'Illusion of Life'. We're "Star-Tracking Across the Universe".*

A Horizon documentary will review the mission and the final hours in a special programme to be broadcast on Monday 18 September at 21:00 BST on BBC Two. 

* A bit of silliness from The Firm > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCARADb9asE