Galileo (spacecraft)
NASA robotic space probe that studied the Jupiter system, as well as asteroids Gaspra and Ida / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the astronomer, see Galileo Galilei.
For the place in Israel, see Galilee.
Galileo was an unmanned NASA spacecraft. It explored the planet Jupiter and its moons. Galileo was launched in 1989 and it arrived at Jupiter in 1995.
Quick Facts Names, Mission type ...
Names | Jupiter Orbiter Probe | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mission type | Jupiter orbiter | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator | NASA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COSPAR ID | 1989-084B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
SATCAT no. | 20298 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | solarsystem | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Mission duration |
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Distance travelled | 4,631,778,000 km (2.88 billion mi)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Launch mass | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Start of mission | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Launch date | October 18, 1989, 16:53:40 (1989-10-18UTC16:53:40) UTC[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rocket | Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-34 / IUS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Launch site | Kennedy LC-39B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Entered service | December 8, 1995, 01:16 UTC SCET[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
End of mission | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Disposal | Controlled entry into Jupiter | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Decay date | September 21, 2003, 18:57:18 (2003-09-21UTC18:57:19) GMT SCET; September 21, 2003, 19:49:36 (2003-09-21UTC19:49:37) GMT ERT[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Jupiter orbiter | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Spacecraft component | Orbiter | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Orbital insertion | December 8, 1995, 01:16 UTC SCET[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Jupiter atmospheric probe | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Spacecraft component | Probe | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Atmospheric entry | December 7, 1995, 22:04 UTC SCET[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Impact site | 06°05′N 04°04′W at entry interface | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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NASA Flagship Program |
Close
Galileo was made up of two parts: an orbiter and a probe. The probe was released from the orbiter on July 13, 1995 and it went towards Jupiter.[5][6] It reached Jupiter on December 7, 1995 and went down into the atmosphere.[5][6] The probe gathered data for 57 minutes until the great atmospheric heat and pressure destroyed it.[5][6]
The orbiter went into orbit around the planet on December 8, 1995[5] and went down into Jupiter's atmosphere and was crushed on September 21, 2003.[7]