Galileo (Spacecraft and Satellite Navigation)

a nephelometer for cloud location and cloud-particle observations,

a net-flux radiometer measuring the difference between upward and downward radiant flux at each altitude, HP G62-125EK Batteryand

a lightning/radio-emission instrument with an energetic-particle detector that measured light and radio emissions associated with lightning and energetic particles in Jupiter’s radiation belts.

Total data returned from the probe was about 3.5 megabits (~458752 bytes). HP G62-125EL BatteryThe probe stopped transmitting before the line of sight link with the orbiter was cut. The likely proximal cause of the final probe failure was overheating, which sensors indicated before signal loss.

The atmosphere through which the probe descended was somewhat hotter and more turbulent than expectedHP G62-125EV Battery. The probe was eventually completely destroyed as it continued to descend. The parachute would have melted first, roughly 30 minutes after entry,[37] then the aluminum components after another 40 minutes of free fall. The titanium structure would have lasted 6.5 hours more before disintegrating. Due to the high pressure, HP G62-125SL Battery the droplets of metals from the probe would finally have vaporized once their critical temperature had been reached, and mixed with Jupiter’s liquid metallic hydrogen interior.

[edit]Jupiter science

The Pwyll crater on Europa. HP G62-130 Battery

Terrain on Ganymede.

After arriving on December 7, 1995 and completing 35 orbits around Jupiter throughout a nearly eight year mission, the Galileo Orbiter was destroyed during a controlled impact with Jupiter on September 21, 2003. HP G62-130EG Battery During that intervening time, Galileo forever changed the way scientists saw Jupiter and provided a wealth of information on the moons orbiting the planet which will be studied for years to come. Culled from NASA’s press kit, the top orbiter science results were:

Galileo made the first observation of ammonia clouds in another planet’s atmosphere. HP G62-130EK BatteryThe atmosphere creates ammonia ice particles from material coming up from lower depths.