JUNO mission to Jupiter

Juno&mission is to measure Jupiter&composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. It will also search for clues about how the planet formed, including whether it has a rocky core, the amount of water present within the deep atmosphere, mass distribution, and its deep winds, which can reach speeds of 618 kilometers per hour (384 mph). Juno&highly elliptical initial polar orbit takes it within 4,200 kilometers (2,600 mi) of the planet and out to 8.1 million km (5.0 million mi), far beyond even Callisto&orbit. An eccentricity-reducing burn, called the Period Reduction Maneuver, is planned that will drop the probe into a much shorter 14 day science orbit. Juno is expected to complete 37 orbits over 20 months before the end of its mission. These orbits minimize contact with Jupiter&dense radiation belts, which can damage spacecraft electronics and solar panels, by exploiting a gap in the radiation envelope near the planet, passing through a region of minimal radiation. The "Juno Radiation Vault", with 1-centimeter-thick titanium walls, will also aid in protecting Juno&electronics.[36] Despite the intense radiation, JunoCam and the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) are expected to endure at least eight orbits, while the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) should endure at least eleven orbits. Juno will receive much lower levels of radiation in its polar orbit than the Galileo orbiter received in its equatorial orbit. Galileo was damaged by radiation during its...