Juno
Juno is a NASA space probe orbiting the planet Jupiter, built by Lockheed Martin and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, after the Galileo orbiter, and is notable for being powered by solar panels rather than radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
- launch_date
- August 5, 2011 UTC
- operator
- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- builder
- Lockheed Martin
- power_source
- Solar panels
- mission_type
- Orbiter
- target
- Jupiter
Reader's Guide
Juno's significance lies in its investigation of Jupiter's deep atmosphere, gravitational and magnetic fields, and polar magnetosphere, providing clues about the planet's formation, including whether it has a rocky core and the amount of water present. Originally planned to be deorbited into Jupiter's atmosphere after 37 orbits, Juno has been approved to continue orbiting until contact is lost, exploring Jovian rings and inner moons such as Thebe, Amalthea, Adrastea, and Metis. As the first solar-powered spacecraft sent to the outer Solar System, it required the three largest solar panel wings ever deployed on a planetary probe at launch, which also stabilize the spacecraft.
Did You Know?
- Juno is named after the Roman goddess Juno, who could see through clouds to reveal Jupiter's true nature.
- Juno is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, after the RTG-powered Galileo orbiter.
- Juno's solar panels are the three largest ever deployed on a planetary probe at the time of launching.
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