NASA's Cassini spacecraft has successfully made it through the asteroid belt on its way to a rendezvous with Saturn in 2004.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft, currently en route to Saturn, has successfully completed its passage through our solar system's asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

This makes Cassini the seventh spacecraft ever to fly through the asteroid belt. Before NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft successfully passed through the region in 1972, it was not known whether a spacecraft could survive the trip.

The belt contains a significant concentration of asteroids. Nonetheless, the area is not considered a hazard to spacecraft. Engineers did not make any adjustments to Cassini as it passed through the region, except the spacecraft's cosmic dust analyzer was reoriented whenever possible to better study the environment. A cover over Cassini's main engines has been in place at all times since launch except when main engine firings were performed. The cover protects the engines from any possible impacts.

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