Juno Arrives at Jupiter on the Fourth of July

The mission’s five-year transit to Jupiter resonates with the opening of classic Star Trek, and timing the arrival of NASA’s Juno spacecraft for the Fourth of July is a Roddenberry touch. (Think “Omega Glory.”)

And in sci-fi movie style, NASA dramatizes the hazards of operating so close to Jupiter in this mission trailer:

On July 4, 2016, NASA’s Juno spacecraft will plunge into uncharted territory, entering orbit around the gas giant and passing closer than any spacecraft before. Juno will see Jupiter for what it really is, but first it must pass the trial of orbit insertion.

 

Ironically, given the July 4th theme, if the probe doesn’t survive nobody on Earth will see those fireworks.

You’ll have the option of viewing live coverage of the orbital insertion tonight.

Monday, July 4 — Orbit Insertion Day

9 a.m. PDT (Noon EDT) — Pre-orbit insertion briefing at JPL

7:30 p.m. PDT (10:30 p.m. EDT) — Orbit insertion and NASA TV commentary begin

10 p.m. PDT (1 a.m. EDT on July 5) — Post-orbit insertion briefing at JPL

To watch all of these events online, visit:

Live coverage on orbit insertion day also will be available online via Facebook Live at:

To hold you til then, here’s a video of today’s press briefing.

On July 4, just hours before NASA’s Juno spacecraft was scheduled to arrive at the planet Jupiter, NASA held a press briefing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California to provide a status update on the mission. Once in Jupiter’s orbit, the spacecraft will circle the Jovian world 37 times during 20 months, skimming to within 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) above the cloud tops. This is the first time a spacecraft will orbit the poles of Jupiter, providing new answers to ongoing mysteries about the planet’s core, composition and magnetic fields.

 

7 thoughts on “Juno Arrives at Jupiter on the Fourth of July

  1. The trailer is a bit Hollywood-esque, but doesn’t give away the ending 😉

    Remarkable mission, good luck to NASA on getting in orbit un-fired.

  2. Main engine burn in less than a minute.

    It’s going to be a 35-minute burn.

  3. And it cut off on schedule: it’s in orbit.
    They’re happy at JPL and Lockheed Martin.

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