Juno Mission Prepared for December 11 Flyby

First Posted: Dec 12, 2016 05:45 AM EST
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In 2015, NASA managed to successfully make a flyby to Pluto. In December 2016, it is planning on getting nearer a large planet. The Juno spacecraft will be making its third flyby of Jupiter.

At its closest approach, the Juno spacecraft is said to be a mere 2,580 miles from Earth -- high above the clouds of the massive planet and traveling at the insane speed of 129,000 miles per hour. During this time, seven of Juno's eight signed instruments are also seen to be energizing and creating flyby.

Scott Bolton, the principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, told Space Daily that "This will be the first time we art planning to operate the full Juno capability to investigate its structure via its gravity field."

There are several important points to consider regarding NASA's Juno mission as pointed out by Zee News India. Among them are as follows:

The Juno Mission, which was launched back in 2011 can help us understand the beginnings of the solar system by revealing the origins and evolution of the planet.

The spacecraft is set to map the gravity and magnetic fields of the planet, which will help humans understand Jupiter's interior structure.

It could also confirm the amount of oxygen that the planet holds. According to some theories, Jupiter's formation can come up to 20 times the weight of oxygen compared to that of Earth.

There are important things to study regarding the planet, including its atmosphere's composition, temperature and cloud motions, among others.

Juno's spins are far longer than those of Jupiter's. It will take the spacecraft 14 days to complete an orbit, while Jupiter spins in its own orbit every 10 hours.

Scientists remain optimistic regarding Juno's future. Rick Nbakken, the project manager for Juno at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, however, believe the best. They no longer want to take unnecessary risks for the spacecraft, which is why they are moving forward with the mission carefully.

See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone

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