Orbiter, will begin its two-year tour of the Jovian environment. Pressure of Jupiter's atmosphere, the larger part of the spacecraft, the The probe's signal is lost and the probe is crushed from the tremendous The spacecraft will be making itsĪway, and perform scientific investigations of Io's volcanic moon. Will then relay 75 minutes of data from an atmospheric probe as itĭescends into Jupiter's atmosphere. Important tasks to place itself in the correct orbit around Jupiter.

Galileo will arrive at Jupiter, on December 7, 1995, and perform several Plunged into Jupiter's nightside atmosphere over a six-day interval. To obtain images of the far side of Jupiter when more than 20 fragments In July 1994 Galileo was the only observer Obtaining the world's first close-up asteroid images. In October 1991, Galileo flew by the asteroid The spacecraft made two planned visits to the asteroid belt beyond theĪnd provided the first opportunities for close observation Gravity-assist encounters provided Galileo with the opportunity toĬonduct brief scientific observations of Venus, at closest approach onĭecemand December 8, 1992. Galileo spent the first three years of its journey making flybys of VenusĪnd Earth before it was ready to swing outward toward Jupiter. Like Voyager and other interplanetary spacecraft, Galileo usedįrom Venus and Earth to gain enough momentum to travel to Jupiter. Radio link are also used to conduct scientific investigations. The spacecraft's radio link to Earth and the probe-to-orbiter Spacecraft carries 10 scientific instruments, six of which are located on Of the spacecraft propulsion subsystem and two science experiments. The German government is a partner in the mission through its provisions Hughes Aircraft Company acted as the prime contractor. Theģ40-kilogram (746-pound) atmospheric probe was developed by NASA's Ames The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission for NASA. The Galileo orbiter, weighing 2-1/2 tons, was designed and developed by But Galileo has already earned a 'first' - theįirst spacecraft to encounter an asteroid Long-term observations of Jupiter, its magnetosphere, and satellites from It will also become the first spacecraft to conduct Traveling to Jupiter, where it will become the first spacecraft to makeĭirect measurements from an instrumented probe within Jupiter'sĪtmosphere.

Released from the cargo bay, a two-stage Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)īooster fired to accelerate the spacecraft out of Earth orbit toward the The Galileo spacecraft wasĬarried into space by the shuttle Atlantis on October 18, 1989. Who discovered Jupiter's major moons in 1610. Satellites, and surrounding magnetosphere for two years. The Galileo spacecraft was designed to study Galileo Crosses Boundary Into Jupiter's Environment - DecemAdditional Galileo Resources:.Galileo Probe Suggests Planetary Science Reappraisal - January 22, 1996.Galileo Finds Giant Iron Core in Jupiter's Moon Io - May 3, 1996.Jupiter's Europa Harbors Possible 'Warm Ice' or Liquid Water - August 13, 1996.Statement by Goldin on the New Galileo Images Of Europa - August 13, 1996.New Discoveries From Galileo - December 12, 1996.Ice Volcanoes Reshape Europa's Chaotic Surface - January 17, 1997.New Images Hint at Wet and Wild History For Europa - April 9, 1997.Galileo Returns New Insights into Callisto and Europa - May 23, 1997.Battery Acid Chemical Found on Jupiter's Moon Europa - September 30, 1999.Courtesy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory