What are the goals of the interplanetary station “Juno” – BBC

Jupiter – is the largest planet in the solar system. Its weight is 2.5 times the total mass of all the other planets combined, and 318 times – the mass of Earth. With such dimensions, Jupiter has a powerful gravitational field and therefore is often used by scientists to speed flying spacecraft using gravity assist. Total past the giant planet flew six American vehicles (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, Cassini and NewHorizons) and one European (Ulysses). But on Jupiter’s orbit worked only one automatic station – Galileo AMC

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Launched August 5th, 2011 interplanetary station “Juno” will be the second artificial satellite of Jupiter. This is the second project in the framework of the “New Frontiers» -. NASA’s space program for the study of the least explored areas of the solar system

By the way, the first mission of the program was the spacecraft “New Horizons” (NewHorizons), still transmitting to Earth the wonderful pictures of Pluto

«New frontier.” – this is the most expensive class of interplanetary missions, NASA selected on a competitive basis. And the mission of “Juno” was selected in the list of the four applicants for funding, ahead of the project delivery of samples from the comet nucleus and the mission to study the atmosphere and surface of Venus

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June 30 “Juno” get off the ground before the arrival of the last team known as ji4040. This program launches a sequence of actions to translate the spacecraft with interplanetary trajectory into an orbit around the gas giant. The most important stage of the action – a 35-minute inclusion of the main engines, scheduled for 4 July. The device, breaking the 2.8 billion kilometers, finally released in orbit around Jupiter. The error can be costly: “Juno” could just fly past the planet. Now the signal delay between Jupiter and the Earth is 48 minutes, so the output will be carried into orbit in the automatic mode. The Space Station will have to make 37 revolutions around the world, each with a period of 14 days. It is planned that each time the “Juno” passing pericenter its orbit will include thrusters, thereby making adjustments.

The peculiarity of this orbit is that it passes over the poles of the gas giant. In this perspective, the largest planet of the solar system have not yet seen. NASA even launched site , where amateur astronomers will be able to vote for the most interesting sites in their view of the planet’s atmosphere, which should take a picture of “Juno.” After the automatic station it will be sent into the atmosphere of the scientific program, which will burn. By doing so, scientists hope to avoid contamination of biological materials of the earth Jupiter’s Galilean satellites. It is expected that the mission will end in February 2018.

Another feature of the new mission is that the spacecraft uses solar panels instead of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). They generate electricity due to heat generation by the decay of radioactive isotopes are used for missions to the outer planets of the solar system where the solar radiation is no longer sufficient to maintain the health of interplanetary stations.

However, because the high cost of plutonium-238 to “Juno” from such a generator was abandoned.

unit of electricity is provided by three solar panels with a total area of ​​60 sq. m. In the orbit of Jupiter, “Juno” will receive only 4% of the sunlight that the unit could get on Earth. But thanks to the use of more modern and efficient solar panels “Juno” will function normally and at a distance of 5 astronomical units from the Sun

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Despite the fact that Jupiter studied by interplanetary probes for more than 40 years, he is in no hurry to reveal all their secrets to researchers. One of the main objectives of the project Juno will study the internal structure of the gas giant. Device Gravity Science Experiment (GCE) by measuring the gravitational field of the planet will provide information on the mass distribution inside Jupiter, which in turn will help to answer the question about the presence of solid massive core of the planet

Another objective of the mission. – study atmosphere. On board is a microwave radiometer Microwave Radiometer (MWR), which will examine the clouds of Jupiter at a depth of up to 550 km.

With the help of spacecraft “sees” the structure of the atmosphere below the visible layer clouds by measuring the amount of ammonia and water.

also, according to him, scientists hope to understand how deeply enter the atmospheric circulation that were previously discovered Galileo probe.

and finally, the ” Juno “will investigate the gas giant’s magnetosphere. The unit has more than one instrument to study auroras, ion distribution of matter at the poles and the magnetic field of the planet. It is believed that deep in Jupiter’s atmosphere, under a pressure of several million atmospheres of hydrogen is compressed so much that goes into the metallic state. That is, the protons and electrons therein exist separately. The resulting metallic hydrogen is a good conductor of electricity. Due to strong currents in the liquid metallic hydrogen layer is generated by a giant planet’s magnetic field. And it interacts with the ions of atoms, causing the strongest auroras in the Solar System. The study of charged particles and magnetic fields near the poles, and the simultaneous observation of auroras in the UV range will allow a better understanding of the phenomena occurring in the interior of a gas giant.

The spacecraft is equipped with only one camera to shoot in the optical range. JunoCam (JCM) – tricolor fixed video camera, made by the same technology as the camera MARDI rover Curiosity

special scientific problem she does not have, and the installation was carried out only. to produce “beautiful images.”

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And on board the “Juno” is memorable label provided by the Italian space Agency and dedicated to Galileo Galilei. Also on this machine there are three figures LEGO: Galileo himself, the Roman god Jupiter and his wife Juno. LEGO-figure Juno holds a magnifying glass as a symbol of the search for truth, and a toy Jupiter – lightning. Usually LEGO figurines are made from plastic, but designed specifically for the space mission made of aluminum, so that they can withstand extreme flight conditions.

While working on “Juno” Jupiter’s orbit will be exposed to serious danger. The gas giant has powerful radiation belts. Every time when passing zone automatic station is affected by the flow of charged particles, which poses a risk to the onboard electronics.

It is known that during the approach to Jupiter spacecraft Galileo received a dose of radiation, 25 times the lethal dose for humans.

This explains the relatively short by modern standards, the duration of the mission.

Interestingly, Juno device has received the name of the Roman goddess Juno, wife of the god Jupiter (the Roman version of the Greek Zeus). This Galilean moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) are named after the beloved of Zeus in Greek mythology (Ganymede – lover). In the poem of the Roman poet Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” is the moment where Jupiter cloud envelops himself in an attempt to hide their actions is not very plausible from his wife. But Juno Discover all commanding the clouds disperse.