Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 24 2009

Juno is a NASA New Frontiers class mission led by Dr. Scott Bolton to the planet Jupiter. It is scheduled for launch in August, 2011. The spacecraft will be placed in a polar orbit to study the planet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. Juno will also search for clues about how Jupiter formed, including whether the planet has a rocky core, the amount of water present within the deep atmosphere, and how the mass is distributed within the planet. Juno will also study Jupiter's deep winds, which can reach speeds of 600 km/h. Once Juno enters into its orbit, infrared and microwave instruments will begin to measure the thermal radiation emanating from deep within Jupiter's atmosphere. These observations will complement previous studies of the planet's composition by assessing the abundance and distribution of water, and therefore oxygen. While filling missing pieces of the puzzle of Jupiter's composition, this data also provides insight into the planet's origins. Juno will also investigate the convection that drives general circulation patterns in Jupiter's atmosphere. The Juno mission will conclude in 2018, after 32 orbits around Jupiter. Data analysis may continue beyond 2018. (more...)