Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Juno

Class:

Flight Project

Status:

Operational

Organizations:

Launch Date:

August 2011

WEBSITE:

The Juno spacecraft successfully entered the orbit of Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Its suite of instruments allow it, for the first time, to peer below the dense cover of clouds to answer questions about the gas giant and the origins of our solar system. Juno's primary goal is to reveal the story of Jupiter's formation and evolution. Using long-proven technologies on a spinning spacecraft placed in an elliptical polar orbit, Juno observes Jupiter's gravity and magnetic fields, atmospheric dynamics and composition, and evolution.

Key Staff
Instruments
Artist depiction of Juno spacecraft in orbit about the planet Jupiter