Final answer:
The Cassini Huygens spacecraft utilized gravity-assist maneuvers and a nuclear electric system to reach Saturn. It used the gravity of other planets, including Venus, Earth, and Jupiter, to gain momentum and speed for its journey, which began with its launch in 1997 and culminated with Saturn's orbit entry in 2004.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cassini Huygens spacecraft reached Saturn's orbit using a combination of techniques. Primarily, it utilized gravity-assist maneuvers, also known as gravitational slingshots, to gain the necessary velocity and trajectory to travel to the outer solar system. This method involves passing close to a planet to steal a bit of its momentum, thereby increasing the spacecraft's speed relative to the Sun. Voyager 2 demonstrated this technique with sequential flybys of multiple planets. Additionally, the Cassini spacecraft, like previous missions such as Galileo and Voyager, was equipped with a nuclear electric system for power, using the heat from plutonium to operate far from the Sun's warmth. Cassini was launched in 1997 and, following its long interplanetary cruise, entered Saturn's orbit in 2004 after receiving gravitational boosts from flybys of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter.