astronomer galileo galilei

Galileo, 13, To Commit Cosmic Suicide

Galileo will hit near the equator on Jupiter's far side.

Galileo, the interplanetary spacecraft that has changed the way we understand Jupiter and its 61 known moons, will perish on the 21st of this month as it plunges into the Jovian atmosphere. NASA engineers have put Galileo on a collision course with the planet so that the spacecraft, which is running low on propellant, can study the Jovian magnetosphere as a final task. The suicide mission will also ensure the craft won't end up crashing intoand possibly contaminatingthe ocean of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

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