On its way to the Saturnian system, the Cassini/Huygens space probe is heading towards Jupiter for a final gravity-assisted manoeuver. This final planetary swing-by will give it the velocity to reach Saturn in the year 2004.
Cassini/Huygens is now approaching the giant planet. Its closest approach will happen at the end of December at a distance of ten million kilometres. Another space probe, Galileo, has since some years already orbiting the planet much closer. Therefore, the two spacecraft, namely Cassini and Galileo, will simultaneously observe Jupiter.
Around the time of Cassini's closest approach, Galileo will be in the magnetosphere, while Cassini will be in the Solar Wind. The ESA-built Huygens probe on Cassini will play the important role in this encounterto heat shield the Orbiter and its instruments from the Sun. The probe itself and its instruments remain dormant.
Although the Jupiter flyby is scheduled for 30 December 2000, Cassini's instruments have been collecting data on Jupiter sine

02:18:16 Cassini-Huygens Jupiter Flyby title slate
02:18:26 Cassini-Huygens launch on 15 October 1997
02:18:38 Graphics and real images of Saturn and Titan
02:18:47 Graphic animations Cassini-Huygens mission
02:19:19 Titan still images
02:19:23 Graphic animation of Titans surface
02:19:36 Cassini-Huygens satellite in cleanroom
02:19:46 Graphic animation indicating planet gravity assisted manouevers
02:19:56 Still image of Venus
02:20:07 Graphic animation of the earth
02:20:06 Graphic animation Cassini-Huygens mission
02:20:20 Graphic animation of Galileo
02:20:31 Graphic aniation indicating Jupiters magnetic field
02:20:42 Real image of Jupiters surgace and moon eclipses
02:20:52 Graphic animations of Ulysses Jupiter swingby in 1992
02:21:12 Jupiter auroras
02:21:17 Diagram indicating Cassini-Huygens closest approach to Jupiter
02:21:22 Graphic animations Cassini-Huygens spacecraft in orbit
02:21:42 Soundbytes by Jean-Pierre Lebreton in English on how Huygens will be used as a sun shield an