Galileo was an American robotic space probe, launched by NASA on October 18, 1989, that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida. Consisting of an orbiter and an atmospheric entry probe, it arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995 after gravity assist flybys of Venus and Earth, and became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet.
Facts
Mission Type OutcomeSuccessful Jupiter orbital mission; the spacecraft was intentionally destroyed in Jupiter's atmosphere on September 21, 2003 to prevent contamination of Jupiter's moons. 1 Mission Type
Mission Type (category) Connections
Operated By
Source Galileo (spacecraft) (Wikipedia)
Spacecraft Of
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Galileo (spacecraft) (Wikipedia)Galileo (spacecraft) article, lead section (mission link)
Targets
Source 243 Ida (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: 951 Gaspra
Source Wikipedia: Amalthea (moon)
Source Wikipedia: Callisto (moon)
Source Wikipedia: Europa (moon)
Source Wikipedia: Ganymede (moon)
Source Wikipedia: Io (moon)
Source Jupiter (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia Foundation- Mission Type (category): Orbiter
- Mission Type: Jupiter orbiter
- Launch Date: 1989-10-18
- End Date: 2003-09-21
- Outcome: Successful Jupiter orbital mission; the spacecraft was intentionally destroyed in Jupiter's atmosphere on September 21, 2003 to prevent contamination of Jupiter's moons.
2. Galileo (spacecraft) (Wikipedia)
Lead paragraph
was an American robotic space probe
Lead paragraph, target
studied the planet Jupiter and its moons
Lead paragraph, outcome
became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet
Galileo (spacecraft) article, lead section
became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet
Galileo (spacecraft) article, infobox
intentionally destroyed in Jupiter's atmosphere on September 21, 2003 to prevent it from contaminating any of Jupiter's moons
Galileo (spacecraft) article, infobox, Mission type field
Jupiter orbiter
Article text
Galileo was intentionally destroyed in Jupiter's atmosphere on September 21, 2003 to prevent it from contaminating any of Jupiter's moons.
- Operated By: NASA, Infobox, operator (operating-agency)
Spacecraft Of: Galileo, Galileo (spacecraft) article, lead section (mission link)
Galileo was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida.
In Group: NASA Outer Solar System and Small-Body Missions, Lead sentence
Galileo was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida.
View the SourceJupiter (Wikipedia)
Targets: Jupiter, Article textQuote, Targets: Jupiter, Article text
The impacts were closely observed by observatories around the world, including the Hubble Space Telescope and Galileo spacecraft.
Wikipedia: Europa (moon)
Targets: Europa, Article textQuote, Targets: Europa, Article text
In May 2018, astronomers provided supporting evidence of water plume activity on Europa, based on an updated analysis of data obtained from the Galileo space probe, which orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003.
Wikipedia: Ganymede (moon)
Targets: Ganymede, Article textQuote, Targets: Ganymede, Article text
The existence of a liquid, iron-nickel-rich core provides a natural explanation for the intrinsic magnetic field of Ganymede detected by Galileo spacecraft.
Wikipedia: Io (moon)
Targets: Io, Article textQuote, Targets: Io, Article text
The Galileo spacecraft performed several close flybys in the 1990s and early 2000s, obtaining data about Io's interior structure and surface composition.
Wikipedia: Callisto (moon)
Targets: Callisto, Article textQuote, Targets: Callisto, Article text
Investigation by the Galileo spacecraft revealed that Callisto may have a small silicate core and possibly a subsurface ocean of liquid water at depths greater than 100 km.
Wikipedia: Amalthea (moon)
Targets: Amalthea, Article textQuote, Targets: Amalthea, Article text
Close-range images of Amalthea were taken in 1979 by the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, and in more detail by the Galileo orbiter in the 1990s.
243 Ida (Wikipedia)
Targets: 243 Ida, Article textQuote, Targets: 243 Ida, Article text
On 28 August 1993, Ida was visited by the uncrewed Galileo spacecraft while en route to Jupiter.
Wikipedia: 951 Gaspra
Wikimedia FoundationTargets: 951 Gaspra, Article textQuote, Targets: 951 Gaspra, Article text
Gaspra was the first asteroid to ever be visited by a spacecraft when it was visited by the Galileo spacecraft, which flew by on its way to Jupiter on 29 October 1991.
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