A more specific concern about that was the RTGs on Cassini. After an impact onto an icy surface, the RTG 'debris' will continue to radiate heat for thousands of years. In fact, since the RTGs were engineered to withstand a worst case launch failure scenario at Cape Kennedy, it is possible there would be somewhat intact, or 'less dispersed' RTG debris in a possibly aqueous environment. Additionally, the radiation dosage Cassini received at Saturn was far less than Galileo, for instance, received at Jupiter. Also, Cassini itself has numerous heaters throughout, and there are areas in it that have not been outside of a rather tolerable temperature environment since it's construction and launch.
So, the possibility of culturing live bio samples from Cassini even today is not a zero, and an impact onto an icy surface would not necessarily kill them, and the on board RTGs would continue to maintain a possibly benign environment for them for potentially thousands of years after such an impact.
And we (the US) has signed a treaty controlling disposition of such space flown hardware . . . .
So, the possibility of culturing live bio samples from Cassini even today is not a zero, and an impact onto an icy surface would not necessarily kill them, and the on board RTGs would continue to maintain a possibly benign environment for them for potentially thousands of years after such an impact.
And we (the US) has signed a treaty controlling disposition of such space flown hardware . . . .
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
