Science News
NASA aims for Jupiter
Aug 5, 2011, 14:35 GMT
Washington - Just weeks after retiring its signature shuttle programme, NASA is set to forge ahead with a new mission to Jupiter on Friday.
The 1.1-billion-dollar Juno mission aims to go closer to the planet than any previous spacecraft, measuring the moisture in its toxic atmosphere.
The launch of NASA's newest project offers a bit of upbeat news, just weeks after the very last shuttle, Atlantis, returned to Earth from its final mission to the space station, ending its 30-year leading role in human space flight.
Juno is expected to reach the solar system's largest planet by 2016, orbiting Jupiter at its poles 33 times over the following year. It is expected to graze Jupiter's highest clouds at a distance of 5,000 kilometres from the surface.
Jupiter is believed to be the first planet to have formed in the solar system, and likely captured many elements and gasses that were not used in formation of the sun. Researchers hope the mission will provide a window back in time to provide clues about the formation of the solar system.
Read more about Jupiter
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