Page 263 - Microsoft Word - LessonPlan-Overview.doc
P. 263
Unit 7: Astrophysics Page 61
the planet Jupiter and its moons. Now, the healthy spacecraft is
Named after the astronomer and working overtime on the Cassini
Renaissance pioneer Galileo Galilei, Equinox Mission, seeking answer to
it was launched on October 18, new questions raised in Cassini’s
1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis first years at Saturn.
on the STS-34 mission. It arrived
at Jupiter on December 7, 1995, a The mission’s
little more than six years later, via extension,
gravitational assist flybys of Venus through
and Earth. September
2010, is named
Galileo conducted the first asteroid for the Saturnian equinox, which
flyby, discovered the first asteroid occurs in August 2009 when the
moon, was the first spacecraft to sun will shine directly on the
orbit Jupiter, and launched the first equator and then begin to
probe into Jupiter's atmosphere. illuminate the northern hemisphere
and the rings’ northern face.
On September 21, 2003, after 14 Cassini will observe seasonal
years in space and 8 years of changes brought by the changing
service in the Jovian system, sun angle on Saturn, the rings, and
Galileo's mission was terminated moons, which were illuminated
by sending the orbiter into Jupiter's from the south during the mission’s
atmosphere at a speed of nearly 50 first four years.
kilometres per second to avoid any
chance of it contaminating local Source: NASA Website
moons with bacteria from Earth. Of
particular concern was the ice- New Horizons Mission to Pluto
crusted moon Europa, which,
New Horizons
thanks to Galileo, scientists now
passed Jupiter
suspect harbors a salt water ocean
early 2007 and
beneath its surface.
snapped photos
Cassini-Huygens Mission to we now have of
Saturn the gas giant.
New Horizons' voyage through the
The incredible journey to Saturn Jupiter system in 2007 provided a
and Titan. Cassini completed its bird's-eye view of a dynamic planet
initial four-year mission to explore that has changed since the last
the Saturn System in June 2008. close-up looks by NASA spacecraft.
© 2010 Supercharged Science www.ScienceLearningSpace.com
263
