Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth

Real-life spacecraft Cassini makes surprising discoveries on her visit to one of Saturn’s moons in this graceful blend of science concepts and the awe of space exploration.

Cassini was built to explore Saturn and its moons. Her engineers pack her full of tools that can measure, take pictures, and taste chemicals. It takes her seven years to reach Saturn’s orbit, where she investigates Enceladus, the shiniest moon in the solar system. To the amazement of her scientists back home, Cassini makes a series of incredible discoveries: liquid water, chemicals, and energy--the ingredients for life! But Cassini doesn’t have the right tools or enough fuel to answer the big questions that come next. This bittersweet true story is rich with both science and wonder, with illustrations that capture the breathtaking scale of our solar system. Back matter provides further insight and information, as well as additional educational resources.

Katie Venit grew up staring at the stars through the skylight over her bed, wondering if there was life out there somewhere. Now, she wonders if we’ll have an answer for that question sooner rather than later. In addition to her picture book debut, Forts, she has written creative nonfiction for adults, numerous articles, and a children’s science column. She lives in Wisconsin with her family.

Julia Blattman has always had a deep interest in all things space, so illustrating this book was an absolute delight for her. She has a BFA in illustration and has worked in visual development at Paramount Pictures Animation and at Netflix Animation. She resides in Los Angeles, California, where she wishes she could see more stars in the sky.