NASA’s Juno orbiter is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter on July 4. It will be the first spacecraft to ever explore under the thick clouds covering the gas planet. Juno will collect data that may explain the evolution and origin of Jupiter. It may also uncover clues about the Great Red Spot, which is a long-lived storm. Scientists also look forward to seeing the highest-resolution color images of Jupiter ever taken.
The Galileo orbiter spent 8 years at Jupiter after arriving there in 1995. Juno will spend much less time there, as it’s orbit will deteriorate and it will burn up in Jupiter’s atmosphere in about 20 months.
Juno will be traveling 2.8 billion kilometers to reach Jupiter. It is powered by 11 solar panels and is the first solar-powered spacecraft to operate so far from the sun. Juno will orbit Jupiter’s poles 37 times in its 20-month mission, which launched in August 2011.
Scientists think that Jupiter originated from leftover gas and dust of the same nebula that formed our sun, but it is unknown how that happened, or whether the planet has a solid core under the thick clouds. Scott Bolton, principal investigator on the Juno project, says, “Learning about the formation of Jupiter enlightens us about the formation of all the planets and what went on in the early solar system.” It will also determine how much water is in the atmosphere.
Juno is packed with sensors, and is programmed to measure the planet’s atmosphere’s chemical composition. It will also map its magnetic and gravitational fields. A microwave radiometer will also take a look 550 kilometers under the clouds that cover the planet’s surface.
“Juno is all about pushing the edge of technology to help us learn about our origins,” Bolton said last month. “We use every known technique to see through Jupiter’s clouds and reveal the secrets Jupiter holds of our solar system’s early history. It just seems right that the sun is helping us learn about the origin of Jupiter and the other planets.
Photo credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute