Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 3/14/2009

Question
Why can't the Cassini–Huygens space craft travel above or below the Asteroid Belt and the rings of Saturn?  Why does it have to go through them.  I would think it would be easier and safer to just go above or below these things.  It seems like if the space craft has to travel through these things it's like there's a "roof" and "floor" in space that you have to stay between. Is there something out there that prohibits us from going up or down in space?  I hope this makes sense.  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Kelly,
How old are you?
Because I sense something rebellous / ill at ease / in this question.
I must admire your courage though!
Because few have it in them to ask such question.

Coming to your question, the "roof and floor" is the ecliptic.
The plane of the solar system.

Since most probes are directed at objects lying in this plain (what would one do shooting off expensive space shots oblivion?).

But we did shoot two such, the voyager 1 and 2 probes that are now close to the heliopause!

And one of the latest probes to look at earth like planets.

The thing is, when we use other planets as gravitational slings, (jupiter and saturn), then in order to remain within the plane of the solar system, we perforce have to do it within that plane.
Since saturn has an axial tilt of 26 degrees, (ref:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(planet)) any craft that wants to use saturn as a sling and yet remain in the sun's equatorial plane, has to pass thru the rings!!

hope that suffices
regards
Jayen