Science Fact Finder | Space - What Is The Mission Of The Galileo Spacecraft?

What is the mission of the Galileo spacecraft?

The mission of the Galileo spacecraft is to make a detailed study of Jupiter and its rings and moons over a period of two years. Galileo was launched on October 18, 1989, and took almost six years to reach Jupiter. Using the gravity assist method (allowing the gravitational field of one planet to propel it toward another), it looped past Venus once and the Earth twice, before heading to Jupiter. Galileo traveled 2.5 billion miles to reach Jupiter, when Jupiter was only a half a billion miles away from Earth.

On December 7, 1995, Galileo released a barbeque-sized probe to analyze the different layers of Jupiter's atmosphere. Galileo is taking many measurements of the planet, its four largest moons, and its mammoth magnetic field. The mission is scheduled to continue through the end of 1997.

Sources: Mallon, Thomas....

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