Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-05-2011 07:42 AM
This thread is intended for comments and questions regarding the Juno mission and the updates published under the topic: NASA's Juno mission to explore Jupiter.
The Juno mission is the first in which a spacecraft will be placed in a highly elliptical polar orbit around the giant gas planet to understand its formation, evolution and structure. Underneath its dense cloud cover, Jupiter safeguards secrets to the fundamental processes and conditions that governed our early solar system.
The solar-powered probe — its three tractor trailer-size solar panels the first to power a spacecraft so far from the Sun — will map the planet's gravity and magnetic fields to learn what Jupiter's interior structure is like. Juno's color camera will provide close-up images of Jupiter, including the first detailed glimpse of the planet's poles.
Launched in 2011, Juno will arrive at Jupiter in July 2016 to begin one year (33 revolutions) of observations before crashing into the planet.
albatron Member
Posts: 2804 From: Stuart, Florida Registered: Jun 2000
posted 08-05-2011 02:09 PM
A wonderful and clear view of the launch here in S. Florida.
posted 08-05-2011 02:22 PM
Great coverage on the NASA network too. I was shocked to see one of the major cable networks show the launch!
Hawkman Member
Posts: 400 From: Union, New Jersey Registered: Jan 2001
posted 08-05-2011 02:44 PM
More importantly, I wonder if Lego will sell replicas of the Lego figures aboard the probe?
cspg Member
Posts: 6333 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 08-05-2011 02:51 PM
The solids separated when the rocket was almost vertical to its launch pad or at least what appears to be over land. An optical illusion?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-05-2011 03:40 PM
quote:Originally posted by Hawkman: I wonder if Lego will sell replicas...
I asked Lego this very question. Here's their reply:
We won't be offering these sets for sale in metal as they are simply too expensive... It is possible for LEGO fans to build them themselves, as all the parts are standard - apart from Jupiter's thunderbolt!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-05-2011 03:42 PM
quote:Originally posted by cspg: An optical illusion?
Yes, an optical illusion. The rocket cam is mounted on the underside of the rocket such that it looks back at land...
Hawkman Member
Posts: 400 From: Union, New Jersey Registered: Jan 2001
posted 08-05-2011 05:27 PM
We won't be offering these sets for sale in metal as they are simply too expensive... It is possible for LEGO fans to build them themselves, as all the parts are standard - apart from Jupiter's thunderbolt!
Sigh. Oh well
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-08-2011 04:41 PM
United Launch Alliance's launch highlights video:
Saturn V Member
Posts: 176 From: Golden, Colorado, USA Registered: Nov 2006
posted 08-14-2013 12:21 PM
Does anyone know at what time Juno will flyby Earth on October 9th? It would be nice to watch it go by.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-09-2013 02:01 PM
NASA's Juno probe will be a mere 347 miles (558 kilometers) from Earth and over South Africa when it makes its closest approach at 2:21 p.m. CDT (1921 GMT).
Later tonight, at 8:30 p.m. CDT (0130 GMT), the online Slooh Space Camera will track the Juno spacecraft's Earth flyby live in a free webcast.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 1268 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 10-09-2013 06:53 PM
I'm surprised to find out that Juno is supposed to only be operational for one year orbiting Jupiter given the length of time it's taking on getting to Jupiter. Given that for most satellites the limiting factor is maneuvering propellant, I would think that unless there is an outrageous "safety factor" in the amount of propellant involved then the one year would be relatively close to the actual length of the science mission.
Does anyone know if this "one year" is one of those wink, wink, nod, nod kind of parameters where most likely the actual scientific mission will proceed well beyond its intended timeline?
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1759 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 10-09-2013 07:38 PM
quote:Originally posted by SkyMan1958: Does anyone know if this "one year" is one of those wink, wink, nod, nod kind of parameters where most likely the actual scientific mission will proceed well beyond its intended timeline?
No, it is the ability of the avionics to withstand the radiation environment, which is the limiting factor. They are going to purposely deorbit Juno at the completion of its mission. They don't want to risk it crashing into a moon years down the road.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-09-2013 07:45 PM
To build upon what Jim wrote, here are the relevant passages from the press kit:
For many of the instruments to do their job, the spacecraft has to get closer to Jupiter than any previous mission. To avoid the highest levels of radiation in the belts surrounding Jupiter, mission navigators have designed a highly elongated orbit that approaches the gas giant from the north... As Juno exits over the south pole, its orbit carries it far beyond even the Jovian moon Callisto's orbit.
That highly elongated orbit also allows the spacecraft's three massive solar panels to be constantly bathed in sunlight, but creates an impact risk, such that...
The deorbit maneuver was designed to satisfy NASA's planetary protection requirements and ensure that Juno does not impact Europa (as well as Ganymede and Callisto).
cspg Member
Posts: 6333 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 10-10-2013 09:46 AM
"Juno enters 'safe mode' after Earth flyby"
Due to NASA's shutdown?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-29-2016 02:08 PM
Juno to arrive Jupiter July 4.
Secrets lie deep within Jupiter, shrouded in the solar system's strongest magnetic field and most lethal radiation belts. 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.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-30-2016 07:51 AM
This year's AmericaFest at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California will celebrate both the Fourth of July and the arrival of Juno at Jupiter, The Pasadena Star-News reports.
This year's AmericaFest will feature both a live view of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's mission control room as Juno reaches its destination and a unique fireworks display that commemorates the NASA mission.
The Rose Bowl plans to paint a glow-in-the-dark and life-sized version of the Juno probe — about the size of a basketball court — into the stadium's field ahead of the show. They'll also have special pre-recorded messages from the science guy Bill Nye, the head of the Pasadena-based Planetary Society.
The JPL Chorus — yes, that's a thing — will open the show with the National Anthem.
Minutes before the fireworks show kicks off, the stadium will cut to mission control as NASA learns whether Juno successfully maneuvered into orbit. As the Juno team (hopefully) celebrates, the first volley of fireworks is expected to launch...
The show will end with a special shell called "The Moons of Jupiter," signed by the Juno team, that will explode into the shape of Juno's mission logo.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Auroras are formed when charged particles in the space surrounding the planet are accelerated to high energies along the planet's magnetic field. When the particles hit the atmosphere near the magnetic poles, they cause it to glow like gases in a fluorescent light fixture. Jupiter's magnetosphere is 20,000 times stronger than Earth's. These observations will reveal how the solar system's largest and most powerful magnetosphere behaves.
The full-color disk of Jupiter in this image was separately photographed at a different time by Hubble's Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program, a long-term Hubble project that annually captures global maps of the outer planets.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-04-2016 08:22 AM
quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: This year's AmericaFest at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California will celebrate both the Fourth of July and the arrival of Juno at Jupiter...
Photos credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
The Juno team, from left to right, Rick Nybakken, Juno project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); Jack Connerney, Juno deputy principal investigator and magnetometer lead co-investigator, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator, Southwest Research Institute; and Diane Brown, Juno program executive, NASA, pose with a firework shell with a Juno logo on it during the Rose Bowl media day on Friday, July 1, 2016 at the Brookside Golf and Country Club in Pasadena, CA.
A similar firework will be set off at the Rose Bowl on July 4th when Juno is scheduled to go into orbit around Jupiter.
Juno team members pose for a photo around a painted image of the Juno spacecraft at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, July 3, 2016 in Pasadena, CA.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-04-2016 09:13 PM
There will be no peanuts in JPL mission control tonight. From @mikamckinnon:
First six U.S. moon missions died. For Ranger 7, the director passed out peanuts as a distraction. The mission succeeded and tradition was born.
But Juno's mission control will not have peanuts tonight. One of the people has a peanut allergy, and human health trumps tradition.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-04-2016 11:22 PM
Juno's in polar orbit around Jupiter! Google celebrated with a Doodle:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-05-2016 12:54 AM
NASA video
NASA's Juno spacecraft captured a unique time-lapse movie of the Galilean satellites in motion about Jupiter. The movie begins on June 12, 2016 with Juno 10 million miles from Jupiter, and ends on June 29, 3 million miles distant.
The innermost moon is volcanic Io; next in line is the ice-crusted ocean world Europa, followed by massive Ganymede, and finally, heavily cratered Callisto.
Galileo observed these moons to change position with respect to Jupiter over the course of a few nights. From this observation he realized that the moons were orbiting mighty Jupiter, a truth that forever changed humanity's understanding of our place in the cosmos. Earth was not the center of the Universe.
For the first time in history, we look upon these moons as they orbit Jupiter and share in Galileo’s revelation. This is the motion of nature's harmony.
cspg Member
Posts: 6333 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 07-05-2016 10:29 AM
And the lack of pictures is due to?
Glint Member
Posts: 1111 From: New Windsor, Maryland USA Registered: Jan 2004
posted 07-05-2016 11:15 AM
I knew that Galileo had observed and sketched the moon and its phases, but had no idea before now -- until viewing this video -- that Jupiter actually displayed itself as half-full in Galileo's telescope! He must have carefully guarded the discovery because in all of his published sketches Jupiter never appeared anything other than perfectly round and full.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-05-2016 11:23 AM
quote:Originally posted by cspg: And the lack of pictures is due to?
All of the instruments aboard Juno were turned off for the orbital insertion. JunoCam will be powered again on Aug. 27, when Juno approaches its first close path to Jupiter, and that is when the first images will be returned.
NeilPearson Member
Posts: 172 From: UK Registered: May 2013
posted 07-05-2016 12:09 PM
A great achievement. Thankfully the British-built Leros-1b engine worked as advertised!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Great to be here, Mr President. Can't wait to peer into Jupiter + learn the secret recipe for planets. Science soon!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-11-2016 12:21 PM
For those in the New York City metropolitan area, Juno principal investigator will be at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Friday, July 15 from 6:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. as part of the museum's free family astronomy night.
Scott will present the very first images of Jupiter and its moons in orbit, as well as incredible visuals of our own moon as it orbits the earth.
(Joining Bolton will be Joby Harris, a graphic designer and production artist from the Jet Propulsion Lab, who translates real science into stunning illustrations.)
moorouge Member
Posts: 2486 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
posted 08-24-2016 05:30 AM
The last updates on the Juno websites are getting on for a month old. When are we likely to get some more news especially as Juno should be approaching its closest on the first orbit of Jupiter?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-24-2016 08:00 AM
Updates should be coming soon. Juno is scheduled to make its first perijove with its instruments powered on Saturday (Aug. 27).
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 08-27-2016 08:59 AM
I look forward to seeing Juno images of Jupiter which exceed the resolution of Pioneers 10 and 11 in the early 1970s. The images which Juno took of the Earth suggest that we are not going to be disappointed. I just hope Juno's enormous velocity at perijove will not smear the images. Not long now.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 09-03-2016 12:44 PM
These are magnificent images of Jupiter, but I suggest that Scott Bolton, principal Juno investigator, is getting a bit ahead of himself when he states that the results are "like nothing we have seen or imagined before."
As long ago as December 1974, Pioneer 11 returned images of Jupiter's north polar region. Image D4 in particular, gives an excellent view of Jupiter's north polar region. The book "Pioneer Odyssey" (NASA SP-349) notes at page 89/90:
Pioneer 11 found that the planet's cloud tops are substantially lower at the poles than at the equator and are covered by a thicker but transparent atmosphere. Though there is much less evidence of rapid atmospheric circulation at the poles than at the equator, the polar areas unexpectedly showed many small convective cells, dwarfing similar Earth thunderstorms. Blue sky was also visible at the poles and is attributed to the same cause as Earth's blue skies - multiple molecule scattering of light by gases of the transparent atmosphere at Jupiter's poles.
Compare that with Scott Bolton's comment made a few days ago:
It's bluer in colour up there than other parts of the planet and there are a lot of storms. There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zones and belts that we are used to...*
I can't help thinking there's a bit of re-inventing the wheel going on here. Don't get me wrong — I was wowed by the Juno images, and their resolution is considerably better than the Pioneer 11 images. To me, it was the difference between watching Star Trek in 1969 on a black-and-white 405 lines low-definition TV, and watching it today in colour on a high-definition TV. I remember the story, but I never saw such clarity and detail.
This brings me to my key point: Juno flew a mere 2,500 miles above the Jovian cloud-tops, yet the closest images I have seen so far were taken 48,000 miles above the north polar region and 24,000 miles about the south polar region. Did Juno take any closer images, and when are they likely to be released? Perhaps Scott Bolton was referring to images the rest of us haven't seen yet?
* It is also worth looking back at Cassini's excellent Jupiter flyby images. Although Cassini did not fly over Jupiter's poles, there is clear evidence (looking towards the north pole) of the lack of banding, the numerous chaotic storms, and the hint of blueness. None of those features should have come as a surprise to Juno's investigators. It will be the higher resolution close-ups of the polar regions which should provide the surprises.
moorouge Member
Posts: 2486 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
posted 09-30-2016 02:41 AM
I may have misheard a throw-away comment by a presenter advertising a programme on our BBC channel about the end of Rosetta, but they mentioned that Juno had suffered a malfunction. If this is correct, would it explain why no really close-up photos of Jupiter have been released?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-30-2016 04:00 AM
I don't see any indication of a problem with Juno, either on the mission's websites or on Twitter, so I don't know what it was you heard.
As for photos, Juno took 28 images during its first close pass on Aug. 27, all of which have been released. Some were devoted to experimenting with different exposures and geometries.
You can see all 28 images from the first perijove on this page assembled by Emily Lakdawalla of The Planetary Society. She also discusses them here.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 10-01-2016 08:16 AM
Hmmm. Some of these need a little work.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Toshiba Vision Screens to Broadcast Historic Images of Jupiter from NASA's Juno Mission on November 28
Toshiba will celebrate NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter with some of the closest images ever taken of the planet, on the Toshiba Vision Screens in Times Square in New York City. The images will run on the screens from Nov. 28 through Dec. 12, appearing approximately every five minutes on the screens.
The Juno mission, which launched on Aug. 5, 2011, reached Jupiter's orbit on July 4, 2016. As Juno orbits over Jupiter's poles it will pass very close to the planet, allowing for NASA to study the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Throughout the mission, Juno will investigate the existence of a possible solid planetary core, map Jupiter's intense magnetic field, measure the amount of water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, and observe the planet's auroras.
"For the past few years, we have partnered with NASA to show amazing images to the millions of viewers that pass through the Times Square every day," said Eddie Temistokle, Sr. Manager Corp. Communication & CSR Toshiba America Inc. "These images of Jupiter from the Juno mission are only a small example of what makes NASA one of the world leaders in innovation and space exploration and we at Toshiba are honored to be part of it!"
"These breathtaking views from our JunoCam instrument were produced by amateurs and represent citizen science at its best," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. "Our mission is not only to innovate, explore and discover, but to engage and inspire. I hope that during this busy holiday season, people will appreciate Jupiter's beauty and be inspired to learn more about Earth's largest neighbor."
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 11-28-2016 05:54 PM
I wonder should we be a little worried about the future of the Juno mission.
If the engine problem can't be fixed, the probe will stay in its initial, long-period orbit, which will still allow good science albeit over an extended timescale. What worries me more is the unplanned shutdown one day before Perijove 2 on 19th October. Either it was a particularly cruel coincidence that this computer glitch happened to occur a day before Juno reached closest approach to the planet with the most violent radiation, or something caused the glitch.
If that "something" was Jupiter's radiation, then I will be watching with concern to see if the same thing happens again at Perijove 3. If it does, that would seem to be grounds for real concern about science collection.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3549 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 02-05-2017 02:28 PM
I'm pleased to see that Juno has made another successful close approach to Jupiter (Perijove 4) and the Junocam images are appearing on the Juno website.
One question occurs to me about the longer-period 53-day orbit (instead of the planned 14-day orbit): does the higher "apojove" mean that Juno builds up a higher velocity when it reaches "perijove"? Simplistically, if the spacecraft swings out much further from Jupiter, would it not have longer to accelerate on the long dive to perijove? I suspect that isn't right, but the issue is a bit beyond my knowledge of orbital mechanics. Now if Buzz Aldrin is reading this...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49871 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-12-2017 01:08 PM
From NASA's Juno Mission on Twitter:
Spot spotted! JunoCam raw images from my Jupiter Great Red Spot flyby are available now. Download, process and share.