Last Gasp for Galileo Mission to Jupiter

[newyawker99]

NASA scientists said they hope to wring a final few hours of work from the doomed Galileo spacecraft before it plunges into Jupiter this weekend.

Galileo will end its 14-year mission by diving into the turbulent atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet around 1 p.m. on Sunday. Friction will vaporize the spacecraft, which will be traveling at nearly 108,000 mph.

In the hours before impact, scientists expect Galileo to transmit the final scientific measurements of its mission.

"We expect to be collecting science data all the way in," Claudia Alexander, manager of the $1.5 billion project, said Wednesday.

Galileo

[Throckmorton]

1. Galileo, the little planetary probe that could.

I remember being heart broken when it's high gain antenna didn't deploy.

[pmbryant]

3. Me too, but it's amazing what was accomplished despite that

At the time that happened, shortly after launch (back in 1990 or so), the mission seemed to be doomed.

Despite that major, major handicap, it is amazing what the Galileo team was able to accomplish. Hats off to them!

:toast:

--Peter

[JHB]

2. Galileo countdown site

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/countdown/