When Gorath approaches Saturn, the rings are torn from the planet's orbit due to Gorath's gravity. However, the atmosphere should have also been torn away as well.
Using such massive thrusters capable of changing the earth's orbit and for such a long period of time would not only have super-heated the atmosphere while pushing most of it out into space but would have caused gigantic earthquakes from pushing the land mass underneath them down into the earth.
Cables supporting one of the astronauts training in the zero gravity chamber is briefly visible.