Pluto-bound spacecraft provides close-up look at Jupiter system
Posted: Wed, May 2, 2007, 8:45 AM ET (1245 GMT)
A Pluto-bound spacecraft that flew past Jupiter in late February has provided scientists with their first close-up look at an emerging storm in the giant planet's atmosphere, as well as other features of the planet and its rings and moons, project officials said Tuesday. New Horizons passed about 2.2 million kilometers from Jupiter on February 28, a flyby designed to give the spacecraft a gravity assist and put it on course for Pluto, as well as provide a "stress test" for the spacecraft's instruments and other systems. About 70 percent of the data collected during the lfyby has been transmitted back to Earth, including high-resolution images of the Little Red Spot, the planet's second-largest storm, which formed in the last decade with the merger of three smaller storms. Other data returned by New Horizons includes images of the Galileo moons Europa and Io. The spacecraft, launched in January 2006, will fly past Pluto in July 2015.
A Pluto-bound spacecraft that flew past Jupiter in late February has provided scientists with their first close-up look at an emerging storm in the giant planet's atmosphere, as well as other features of the planet and its rings and moons, project officials said Tuesday. New Horizons passed about 2.2 million kilometers from Jupiter on February 28, a flyby designed to give the spacecraft a gravity assist and put it on course for Pluto, as well as provide a "stress test" for the spacecraft's instruments and other systems. About 70 percent of the data collected during the lfyby has been transmitted back to Earth, including high-resolution images of the Little Red Spot, the planet's second-largest storm, which formed in the last decade with the merger of three smaller storms. Other data returned by New Horizons includes images of the Galileo moons Europa and Io. The spacecraft, launched in January 2006, will fly past Pluto in July 2015.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Retired Air Force officer nominated to be NASA deputy administrator
Posted: Sat, May 10 9:44 AM ET (1344 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, May 13
ScotRail trials wi-fi using satellite technology
BBC — 5:15 am ET (0915 GMT) Elon Musk’s Starlink to be used for internet services on Scottish trains
The Times of London — 5:14 am ET (0914 GMT) Starlink gets 90-day waiver to operate without local gateway
The Daily Star (Bangladesh) — 5:14 am ET (0914 GMT) Rep. Strong reaffirms Huntsville's suitability for Space Command headquarters during Athens address
WZDX-TV Huntsville, AL — 5:12 am ET (0912 GMT) US, Italy Sign Joint Space Security Deal
The Defense Post — 5:12 am ET (0912 GMT) |
