Galileo Jupiter example essay topic

We have all looked up at the sky, at one time or another. Wondering, why are we here, how did we come to exist to live on our planet Earth. We have studies our oceans, and dug deep into the Earth. The desire to discover other planets, study their atmospheres and geology are the dreams that spark a desire to look deep into are solar system and galaxy. In the past decades we have accomplished many successful space missions. With today's highly advanced technology, we have the opportunity to further explore our solar system, in an attempt to someday to get a better understanding of how our world came to be.

Named after the famed astronomer Galileo Galilei, who discovered several of Jupiter's moons, the Galileo spacecraft is the first to orbit a gas giant planet - Jupiter. Its probe is the first spacecraft to directly sample the atmosphere of an outer planet. Galileo's primary mission was to study Jupiter's atmosphere, magnetosphere, and the four largest moons for two years (1995-1997) (Galileo Mission to Jupiter, 2002). The total cost of the Galileo mission would be about $1.6 billion. The Galileo mission was funded by the U.S. and Germany. The science goals of the Galileo Probe were to: determine the chemical composition of the Jovian atmosphere; characterize the structure of the atmosphere to a depth of at least 10 bars; investigate the nature of cloud particles and the location and structure of cloud layers; examine the Jovian radiative heat balance; study the nature of Jovian lightning activity; and, measure the flux of energetic charged particles down to the top of the atmosphere (Galileo Mission to Jupiter, 2002).

The objectives of the Galileo Orbiter are to: investigate the circulation and dynamics of the Jovian atmosphere; investigate the upper Jovian atmosphere and ionosphere; characterize the morphology, geology, and physical state of the Galilean satellites; investigate the composition and distribution of surface minerals on the Galilean satellites; determine the gravitational and magnetic fields and dynamic properties of the Galilean satellites; study the atmospheres, ionospheres, and extended gas clouds of the Galilean satellites; study the interaction of the Jovian magnetosphere with the Galilean satellites; and, characterize the vector magnetic field and the energy spectra, composition, and angular distribution of energetic particles and plasma to a distance of 150 Rj (Galileo Mission to Jupiter, 2002). Galileo the man was an Italian physicist and astronomer born near Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. Galileo was taught by monks, and then later entered the University of Pisa in 1581 to study medicine. He turned to philosophy and mathematics, leaving the University without a degree. He wrote on hydrostatics and natural motions, but never published. As a professor of mathematics he found error in Aristotle's belief that speed of fall is proportional to weight, thereby losing his contract with the University, possibly because he contradicted the other Aristotelian professors.

He was later appointed to the chair of mathematics at the University of Papua, where he turned from speculative physics to careful measurements. He discovered the law of falling bodies and the parabolic path of projectiles. Galileo also studied the motions of pendulums, and investigated mechanics and the strength of materials. He began to show interest in astronomy in 1595 and looked to the Copernican theory; that the Earth revolved around the Sun, contradicting the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic assumption that the planets circled a fixed Earth view. In 1609, Galileo built a telescope with 20 times magnification. He discovered mountains and craters on the moon.

Galileo viewed the Milky Way and discovered it was composed of stars. He also discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter, and observed the phases of Venus, contradicting Ptolemaic astronomy. In 1616, Copernican books were subject to censorship, and the Jesuit cardinal Robert Bellarmine instructed Galileo that he must no longer hold or defend the concept that the Earth moves around the Sun. Galileo pursued his studies and continued publishing his works, this leading to his summons to stand trial for "grave suspicion of heresy". He was commuted to permanent house arrest. Galileo's last book published was title, "Discourses Concerning Two New Sciences".

This book is said to have lead Newton to the laws of universal gravitation that linked Kepler's planetary laws with Galileo's mathematical physics. Galileo became blind before it was published, and he later died at Arce tri, near Florence, on January 8, 1642. In 1979 an investigation of the astronomer's condemnation, calling for it's reversal. In October 1992, the investigation was opened and Pope John Paul II and a papal commission acknowledged the Vatican's error and condemnation was reversed (Encarta, 2003). Galileo is the name of the NASA spacecraft mission to Jupiter.

Galileo is a sophisticated combination of two spacecrafts, consisting of an orbiter and an atmospheric probe that is conducting interplanetary studies during a six-year journey to Jupiter. Galileo is the name given this probe and mission, and thus named for honoring the man, Galileo, for all his contribution to science (NSSDC, 2003). The Galileo space probe is now millions of miles from its origin. This probe has entered space in a rather unique way, carried (at the time) the most sophisticated equipment to probe space and sent back exciting new information about space and the planets within Earths solar system. To arrive at its destination, astronomers had to plan quite a few years ahead and set a course that was anything but direct.

The Galileo space probe was launched in 1989 by the space shuttle Atlantis. To pick up enough velocity to get to Jupiter, Galileo took advantage of a billiard-like technique called gravity assist by dipping into the gravitational fields of Venus and Earth. The 38-month Venus-Earth-Earth Gravity Assist phase ended with the second Earth flyby on December 8, 1992. It's currently in the middle of a two-year study of the planet's atmosphere, satellites and surrounding magnetosphere.

This mission became the first to make direct measurements from an instrumented probe within Jupiter's atmosphere and is the first to conduct long-term observations of the planet and its magnetosphere and satellites from orbit around Jupiter. Galileo's two planned visits to the asteroid belt provided the first and second opportunities for close observation of these bodies: in October 1991 the spacecraft flew by asteroid Gaspra, obtaining the world's first close-up asteroid images; in August 1993 it flew by a second asteroid, Ida, and discovered the first confirmed asteroid moon. In late July 1994 Galileo was the only observer in a position to obtain images of the far side of Jupiter when more than 20 fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy plunged into the night-side atmosphere over a 6-day period. The 2,223-kilogram (2-1/2-ton) Galileo orbiter spacecraft carries 10 scientific instruments; there were another six on the 339-kilogram (746-pound) probe.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed and developed the Galileo Jupiter orbiter spacecraft and is operating the mission; NASA's Ames Research Center developed the atmospheric probe with Hughes Aircraft Company as prime contractor. The spacecraft radio link to Earth and the probe-to-orbiter radio link have served as instruments for additional scientific investigations. The German government is a partner in the mission through its provision of the spacecraft propulsion subsystem and two science experiments. Scientists from six nations are participating in the mission. What are the scientific expectations for this mission? Scientists expect to conduct interplanetary studies of dust, various plasma and particles while Galileo is on its way to Jupiter.

This data will be collected from the spacecrafts dust detector, magnetometer and various other detectors. The Galileo spacecraft has already reached the asteroid belt and provided scientist with the first close-up study of two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida. Galileo project scientist also viewed the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragment impacts on Jupiter. "The primary mission of Galileo however, is to send an atmospheric probe into Jupiter's atmosphere and studying Jupiter, its satellites, and its magnetosphere for two years" (NASA, 2003, Online).

One of the primary objectives of the Galileo mission is to determine the chemical composition of the jovian atmosphere of Jupiter. Galileo will characterize Jupiter's atmospheric structure and investigate the nature of cloud particles and the location and structure of cloud layers. Galileo will examine the jovian radioactive heat balance and study the nature of jovian lightning activity. Galileo will then measure the flux of energetic charged particles down to the top of the atmosphere.

So far, since the Galileo was launch in 1989, there have been many accolades that the NASA scientists have been able to claim as firsts. Galileo was the first mission to make a close flyby of an asteroid Gaspra. Galileo was the first mission to discover a satellite of an asteroid (Ida's satellite Dactyl). The mission of Galileo has been the first multi-spectral study of the Moon.

Galileo was the first to send an atmospheric probe to enter Jupiter's atmosphere and the first spacecraft to go into orbit around Jupiter. Fortunately, Galileo was able to provide the first direct observations of a comet impacting a planet (Shoemaker-Levy 9). Galileo's flyby of Gaspra has provided scientists with information to suggest that the asteroid is 200 to 500 million years old. The asteroid has low gravitational force and has a different composition between its northern and southern hemispheres.

Gaspra also may have a magnetic field giving scientists reason to believe asteroids are rich in iron or iron-nickel alloys. The asteroid has a clean environment around it and as it is impacted by materials in space, the dust is not held closely to the asteroid and creates more interstellar dust. The Galileo mission discovered the asteroid Ida had a satellite, Dactyl. The orbit of Dactyl around Ida suggests to scientists that Ida is a S-type or stony iron asteroid. The density of Ida tells a scientist that is fairly porous and made of light rocks. Further scientific studies are being conducted on the data discovered while Galileo flew by this asteroid.

Galileo is providing scientists at NASA the first multi-spectral study of the Moon. The Galileo spacecraft "passed over the lunar north pole and the low sun-angle illumination provided a unique opportunity to assess the geologic relationships among the smooth plains, cratered terrain and impact ejecta deposits in this region of the Moon" (NASA, 2003, online). Galileo provided "confirmation of the existence of a huge ancient impact basin in the southern part of the Moon's far side" (NASA, 2003, online). Galileo also provided evidence of more lunar volcanic activity than previous thought. Galileo was the first atmospheric probe to enter Jupiter's atmosphere and the first to go into orbit around Jupiter. Galileo discovered a more intense dust storm than ever observed before.

The spacecraft also discovered an "intense new radiation belt approximately 50,000 km above Jupiter's cloud tops" (NASA, 2003, online). Galileo found wind speeds in excess of 600 kilometers per hour. Galileo detected less water in Jupiter's atmosphere than originally estimated from earlier space missions and less lightning events than anticipated. The helium content on Jupiter is nearly the same as in the Sun.

Galileo provided the first observations of a comet impacting a planet The Shoemaker-Levy 9 was observed by Galileo as it collided with Jupiter. Data provided from the collision "has been integral in explaining the timing of events" (NASA, 2003, online). Galileo detected 8 separate impacts.