What would happen if a meteor hit Cassini spacecraft and knocked out its communication system?
Loss of communication alone could not cause Cassini to impact the Earth. This is because loss of communication does not change the spacecraft’s trajectory that is already safely pointed many thousands of miles away from Earth. It is important to note that most types of spacecraft or mission failures cannot change Cassini’s trajectory, and only a tiny fraction of the possible trajectory changes could conceivably redirect the spacecraft into an Earth reentry.
