Galileo (spacecraft) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Galileo

Artist's concept of Galileo at Io with Jupiter in the background; the high-gain antenna is fully deployed
Names	Jupiter Orbiter Probe
Mission type	Jupiter orbiter
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	Planned: 8 years, 1 month, 19 days In orbit: 7 years, 9 months, 13 days Final: 13 years, 11 months, 3 days
Distance travelled	4,631,778,000 km (2.88 billion mi)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm General Electric Hughes Aircraft Company
Launch mass	Total: 2,562 kg (5,648 lb) Orbiter: 2,223 kg (4,901 lb) Probe: 339 kg (747 lb)
Dry mass	Orbiter: 1,884 kg (4,154 lb) Probe: 339 kg (747 lb)
Payload mass	Orbiter: 118 kg (260 lb) Probe: 30 kg (66 lb)
Power	Orbiter: 570 watts Probe: 730 watt-hours
Start of mission
Launch date	October 18, 1989, 16:53:40 (1989-10-18UTC16:53:40) UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-34 / IUS
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39B
Entered service	December 8, 1995, 01:16 UTC SCET
End of mission
Disposal	Controlled entry into Jupiter
Decay date	September 21, 2003, 18:57:18 (2003-09-21UTC18:57:19) GMT SCET; September 21, 2003, 19:49:36 (2003-09-21UTC19:49:37) GMT ERT
Jupiter orbiter
Spacecraft component	Orbiter
Orbital insertion	December 8, 1995, 01:16 UTC SCET
Jupiter atmospheric probe
Spacecraft component	Probe
Atmospheric entry	December 7, 1995, 22:04 UTC SCET
Impact site	06°05′N 04°04′W / 6.083°N 4.067°W / 6.083; -4.067 (Galileo Probe) at entry interface
NASA Flagship Program ← Voyager program Cassini–Huygens →

Galileo was an unmanned NASA spacecraft. It explored the planet Jupiter and its moons. Galileo was launched in 1989 and it arrived at Jupiter in 1995.

Galileo was made up of two parts: an orbiter and a probe. The probe was released from the orbiter on July 13, 1995 and it went towards Jupiter. It reached Jupiter on December 7, 1995 and went down into the atmosphere. The probe gathered data for 57 minutes until the great atmospheric heat and pressure destroyed it.

The orbiter went into orbit around the planet on December 8, 1995 and went down into Jupiter's atmosphere and was crushed on September 21, 2003.

Images for kids

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  In the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF), Galileo is prepared for mating with the Inertial Upper Stage booster.

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  Galileo's main components

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  Propulsion module

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  Solid-State Imager

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  Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer

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  Ultraviolet Spectrometer

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  Dust Detector Subsystem

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  Heavy Ion Counter

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  Magnetometer

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  Plasma Wave Subsystem

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  Inner Descent Module of the Galileo Entry Probe