Galileo Frequently Asked Questions

How fast was the probe going when it hit Jupiter's atmosphere? Why doesn't Galileo use solar panels? Answers to these and other questions can be found in Galileo's FAQ. And, if you don't find your question answered, submit your own question.

Galileo FAQ - Master Index

Imaging Science	Sources for Pictures
All about those amazing pictures.	Where to get those amazing pictues.
Exploring Europa
Is There an Ocean on Jupiter's Icy Moon?
General Spacecraft Anatomy	The Galileo Probe
Basic questions about the Galileo spacecraft.	The atmospheric probe dropped from orbiter.
Galileo's Computers	Power
How the spacecraft thinks.	Keeping the spacecraft running.
Galileo's Antennas	Tape Recorder
Talking with the spacecraft.	Storing data.
Navigation	Arrival Day (December 7, 1995)
Getting from here to there.	Arriving at Jupiter after 6 years.
General Questions

General Spacecraft Anatomy

General Questions

What spinoff technology has Galileo produced?
What limits the Galileo orbiter's useful lifetime? Will the orbiter be dragged into Jupiter's atmosphere, thus ending the mission?
What is the cost of the Galileo mission?
Are the Deep Space Network hardware and software changes being made for Galileo usable by other projects?
What don't we know about Jupiter that is important to learn and which Galileo will help provide an answer?
Do scientists known much about Jupiter or is there still a great deal of mystery? If so, what?
What is unique about the Galileo mission?
How will learning about Jupiter help scientists understand Earth? The Solar System?
What are the most fascinating aspects of Jupiter compared to other planets?
How would you describe what has been learned to-date about Jupiter compared to what scientists hope to learn from the Galileo mission?
What can be learned by orbiting the gaseous planet that could not be gained by the earlier flybys?
What new technology, if any, had to be developed for the spacecraft?
If Jupiter has no solid ground to land on and is only a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, why doesn't it just drift apart?
I'm an amateur astronomer, and I'd like to use my radio telescope to track Galileo. What frequency should I be looking at?
What's a gravity assist?
What will Galileo do (or where will it go) after the two year mission is over? Will its power run out at that point?
What limits how much data is collected during a satellite encounter, and does all of the data get transmitted back to Earth before the start of the next satellite encounter? (9/4/96)
I hear the term "Real Time" used a great deal. What does it refer to? (9/4/96)

The Galileo Probe

Navigation

Galileo's Antennas

Galileo's Computers

Power

Imaging Science

Sources for Pictures

Tape Recorder

Arrival Day (December 7, 1995)

Exploring Europa

Other FAQ-like Resources

Galileo WebChat Sessions (Jul 18, 1996 and Aug 13, 1996)

Last updated: December 31, 1997
Al Wong, al.wong@jpl.nasa.gov

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