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Artist's impression
Space probe
Juno
Juno is a space probe. Juno is the first probe to manage on solar power alone so far out at Jupiter – with three huge solar panels.
Fact file
- Type
- Space probe
- Launch
- 5 August 2011
Interesting facts about Juno
- Juno is the first probe to manage on solar power alone so far out at Jupiter – with three huge solar panels.
- Three LEGO figures are flying on board: Galileo Galilei, Jupiter, the king of the gods, and his wife Juno.
- It orbits Jupiter over the poles and discovered clusters of giant cyclones there.
Frequently asked questions about Juno
When was Juno launched?
The mission began on 5 August 2011.
Which celestial bodies has Juno visited?
Juno visited Jupiter. All milestones with their dates are listed further down this page.
The mission
A NASA mission named after the goddess Juno, who could see through Jupiter's veil of clouds – just as the probe “looks” into its interior.
Technology and flight
A thick titanium shell protects the electronics from Jupiter's extreme radiation.
Discoveries
It showed that Jupiter's core is fuzzy rather than solid, mapped its magnetic field and took close-ups of Ganymede, Europa and Io.
For comparison
Jupiter receives only about 4% of the sunlight that reaches Earth.
Mission milestones
- Launch at Earth
Launch on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.
- Swing-by of Earth at Earth
Juno flies back past Earth and picks up speed for the journey to Jupiter.
- Arrival at Jupiter at Jupiter
On American Independence Day, Juno enters an orbit over Jupiter's poles.
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