The Juno spacecraft is an unmanned space mission operated by NASA to explore the planet Jupiter. Here are key details about the mission:
Overview
- Launch Date: August 5, 2011
- Arrival at Jupiter: July 4, 2016
- Mission Duration: Originally planned for 20 months, but extended multiple times due to its success.
- Primary Goal: Understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter, look for solid planetary cores, map magnetic fields, measure water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, and observe auroras.
Design and Instruments
Juno was built by Lockheed Martin with several scientific instruments:
- Magnetometer (MAG): Measures magnetic fields.
- Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE): Studies charged particles in Jupiter's polar magnetosphere.
- JunoCam: A visible light camera designed to capture images of Jupiter's poles and cloud tops.
- Gravity Science: Uses radio science to probe the planet's interior structure.
- Microwave Radiometer (MWR): Measures the abundance of water and ammonia in Jupiter's atmosphere at various depths.
- Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS): Analyzes UV emissions to study auroras and atmospheric composition.
- Advanced Stellar Compass (ASC): Provides navigation data by observing stars.
Mission Highlights
- Orbit Insertion: Juno entered into a polar orbit around Jupiter after a complex maneuver involving a gravity assist from Earth in 2013.
- Close Approaches: The spacecraft performs close flybys of Jupiter, coming within 2,600 miles (4,100 km) of the cloud tops, providing unprecedented views and data.
- Discoveries:
- Found evidence of a dilute core at Jupiter's center rather than a solid core.
- Observed massive cyclones at Jupiter's poles, revealing a complex weather system.
- Detected variations in Jupiter's magnetic field, suggesting a more dynamic magnetosphere than previously thought.
- Extended Mission: Initially set to end in February 2018, Juno's mission has been extended several times, with the latest extension aiming for operations through September 2025.
Future Plans
The extended mission includes:
- Studying the moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto to better understand their interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere.
- Continuing the mapping of Jupiter's gravity and magnetic fields.
- Further investigation into the planet's auroras.
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