Page 61 - Life beyond the Karman

The Juno spacecraft
On 4 July 2016, the Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit. It is the first spacecraft to explore the planet’s atmosphere and investigate the origins of our solar system. The mission has now entered an extended phase, and the spacecraft continues to gather data while orbiting the gas giant.
Juno’s discoveries have revolutionized the understanding of Jupiter’s atmosphere and interior. The research has revealed an atmospheric weather layer that extends far beyond its water clouds. The interior of Jupiter has a dilute heavy element core.
H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Kounotori
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is an automated cargo spacecraft designed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the ISS. The first mission, HTV-1, was launched on 10 September 2009 using an H-IIB launch vehicle. The mission of HTV is to transport essential materials to the ISS.
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) plays a crucial role in resupplying the ISS by transporting new International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs).
The HTV has an external payload bay that is accessed by the robotic arm after it docks with the ISS. New payloads can be directly moved to Kibō’s exposed facility from the HTV.
Cassini-Huygens spacecraft
The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was an interplanetary spacecraft that was one of the largest, heaviest, and most complex. It was equipped with a variety of powerful instruments and cameras, enabling it to take accurate measurements and detailed images in a range of atmospheric conditions and light spectra.
Cassini-Huygens was equipped with 27 diverse scientific instruments that had multiple functions and were designed to explore all the essential elements of the Saturnian system. The spacecraft communicated with Earth through its antenna subsystem.
Lunar lander
A lunar lander is a type of spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the moon. Also known as a moon lander, it is designed to cope with the unique conditions on the moon, where a lack of atmosphere and intense temperatures make touching down and staying operational a challenge.
Every time humans have sent spacecraft to land on a body in the solar system whether it was the moon, another planet, or an asteroid, this has come with a new set of challenges.
The goal of all landers is to achieve a “soft landing”, meaning without damage to the vehicle.
The Juno spacecraft
LIFE BEYOND THE KÁRMÁN LINE - OUTER SPACE
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