Why were probes like Galileo and Cassini deliberately steered into the atmospheres of giant planets at the end of their missions?
Answer
As a means of disposal driven by planetary protection concerns regarding orbiting potentially habitable moons.
The end-of-life disposal of probes into the gas giants was a necessary safety measure mandated by planetary protection guidelines, ensuring the spacecraft would not inadvertently land on moons where extraterrestrial biology might exist.
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