Juno mission scientists discuss Jupiter's mysteries
After nearly five years and 1.8 billion miles of space travel, NASA's Juno mission will arrive at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for 20 months, completing 37 orbits, and will then spiral down into the planet at the end of its mission in 2018. Three Caltech professors—Andrew Ingersoll, professor of planetary science; Dave Stevenson, Marvin L. Goldberger Professor of Planetary Science; and Ed Stone, David Morrisroe Professor of Physics and vice provost for special projects—are on the mission team. None are strangers to the giant planets—collectively, they have more than 100 years of experience studying the outer solar system. We spoke with them about Jupiter, the Juno mission, and the future of solar system exploration.