5,712 kilograms (6 tons) and is about the size of a 30-seat school bus. It’s equipped with cameras and other scientific instruments for collecting data.
After leaving Earth in 1997, Cassini passed by Venus in 1998. In January 2000, Cassini passed closely enough to the asteroid 2685 Masursky to investigate its size and dimensions. It also flew by Jupiter in December 2000. Cassini reached Saturn