Oct 10 1999
From The Space Library
NASA's Galileo probe survived intense radiation emanating from Jupiter during a "do-or-die effort," when the spacecraft came within 380 miles (611 kilometers) of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. The craft experienced computer problems when passing through the densest part of Jupiter's radiation belt, but 1 hour after Galileo's closest encounter with Io, all of its systems had resumed normal functioning. Duane Bindschadler, Manager of Science Operations for the Galileo Program, explained that close-up study of Io could help scientists learn about the behavior of volcanoes, thereby helping them predict the behavior of volcanoes on Earth. However, because Jupiter's radiation field could damage or destroy the spacecraft, NASA had planned the close flyby for the end of the two-year extended mission, following Galileo's original two-year mission.
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