Jupiter Atmospheric probe: Decending into a giant
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| Artist's illustration of Jupiter atmospheric probe. Credit: NASA |
Galileo's Jupiter Atmospheric Probe was the first spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant. It observed monstrous storms, and later vaporized as it decended into the king of the planets.
The Mission
Launched in October of 1989, aboard the Galileo orbiter, the Jupiter Atmospheric probe spent 6 years travelling through the solar system. During this time, it made flybys of Venus, Earth, and two asteroids. In July 12, 1995, Galileo released the probe as it approached Jupiter.
While Galileo would go on to orbit the Jupiter system for years, The Atmospheric probe would meet its end as a martyr for science. It entered the atmosphere of the planet on December 7, 1995. At 6.5 degrees north latitude, and 4.4 degrees west longitude, the probe decended through the atmosphere for an hour.
During this time, the probe analysed Jupiter's atmosphere. The probe transmitted the data to Galileo, which relayed the information to Earth. At 61.4 minutes, the probe's transmitter failed, at a crushing pressure of 22.7 atmospheres. Soon after, the probe disintegrated.
Using data from the probe, scientist determined that there was a radiation belt 50,000 kilometres above the cloud tops. The probe didn't detect much lightning or water, and around half the helium that was expected to be found. It was later determined that the probe had entered a "dry zone" in Jupiter's atmosphere, and that water and helium would be present in higher concentrations in different regions.
While this remains the only probe to enter the atmosphere of a gas planet, it won't remain the only one. NASA will probably commit to a flagship Uranus mission in the coming decades, and that mission will likely feature an atmospheric probe as well.
The Target
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| Jupiter as seen by Cassini. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
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