Jupiter, No More Probes For Now

Jupiter is one of the most intensively studied planets in the solar system. Only Mars and Venus have received more attention -- and that's in part because they're easier to get to. On average, Jupiter is almost a half-billion miles from Earth, so it takes a lot of time and energy for a probe to get there.

Despite the limitations, more than a half-dozen spacecraft have studied Jupiter from close range. Six have flown past the planet; the first was 30 years ago, while the most recent was in late 2001.

In addition, the Galileo spacecraft orbited Jupiter for almost eight years, conducting intensive studies of the giant planet, its moons, and the space environment around Jupiter. It also dropped a probe into the planet's turbulent atmosphere. Galileo's mission ended in September.

No new missions to Jupiter are on the schedule. Scientists have proposed some, but nothing has received the okay from NASA. As a result, astronomers will have to content themselves with what they can learn from Earth -- from telescopes on the ground, or Hubble Space Telescope in orbit.

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Khorsheed.com – Nov, Dec 2003