Galileo Orbiter

4 Pages·1989·0.13 MB·English

NSSDC Master Catalog Display: Spacecraft http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1989-084B
NSSDC Master Catalog Display: Spacecraft
Galileo Orbiter
NSSDC ID: 1989-084B
Other Names
Galileo
Jupiter Orbiter
20298
Launch Date/Time: 1989-10-18 at 22:23:00
UTC
On-orbit Dry Mass: 2380 kg
Nominal Power Output: 570 W
Description
The Galileo mission consists of two spacecraft: an orbiter and an atmospheric probe. The orbiter will be the sixth
spacecraft to explore the Jovian magnetosphere, but the first to be placed into orbit around the giant planet.
Scientific objectives addressed by the orbiter are to: (1) investigate the circulation and dynamics of the Jovian
atmosphere; (2) investigate the upper Jovian atmosphere and ionosphere; (3) characterize the morphology,
geology, and physical state of the Galilean satellites; (4) investigate the composition and distribution of surface
minerals on the Galilean satellites; (5) determine the gravitational and magnetic fields and dynamic properties of
the Galilean satellites; (6) study the atmospheres, ionospheres, and extended gas clouds of the Galilean satellites;
(7) study the interaction of the Jovian magnetosphere with the Galilean satellites; and, (8) characterize the vector
magnetic field and the energy spectra, composition, and angular distribution of energetic particles and plasma to a
distance of 150 Rj.
The structure of the orbiter is divided into two sections. The main body of the spacecraft, comprised of the
electronics bays, propellant system, RTG and science booms, and high-gain antenna, rotates at rates of 3.25 or
10.5 rpm. The despun section, aft of the main body, uses an electric motor to drive it counter to the rotation of
the main section. This dual spin attitude control system accommodates instruments which require stable, accurate
pointing (the imaging instruments) and those which benefit from repetitive, broad-angular coverage (the various
particles and fields instruments). The length of the spacecraft is 9 m and, with the high-gain antenna (HGA)
deployed, is 4.6 m in diameter.
Power is provided to the spacecraft through the use of two radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs), each of
which is located at the end of a short boom. The magnetometer sensors and plasma wave antenna are located on
yet another boom, 10.9 m in length.
Although it was intended that communications with the Deep Space Network (DSN) would be primarily through
the HGA (which would remain pointing toward the Earth at all times), thermal constraints forced the use of the
two low-gain antennas prior to the first Earth flyby. HGA deployment was planned thereafter, but at least three
of the HGA "ribs" were unable to be moved much beyond their launch configurations, thereby jeopardizing the
total science return of the mission. Several attempts have been made to deploy the antenna through a variety of
techniques.
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Disciplines
Astronomy
Engineering
Earth Science
Planetary Science
Solar Physics
Space Physics
Sponsoring Agencies/Countries
NASA-Office of Space Science Applications/United States
Deutsche Forschunganstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, nee DFVLR)/Ger
Personnel Information
Launch/Orbital Information
PDMP Information
Telecommunications Information
Publication Information
Experiment Information
Data Set Information
Other Galileo Information/Data at NSSDC
NSSDC Master Catalog Information
Galileo Probe
Galileo Probe experiments
STS 34 (Galileo deployment mission)
Event Information
Galileo probe timeline of events
Galileo orbiter event information
Images (on-line and on CD-ROM)
Index of images taken by Galileo in the NSSDC Photo Gallery
Galileo Images of Callisto
Galileo Images of Ganymede
Galileo Images of Europa
Galileo Images of Io
Order the Galileo imaging CD-ROM set
JPL Press Releases
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Surprising early science results from the Galileo probe
More science results from the Galileo probe
Science results from the first Io flyby!
Science results from the first Ganymede flyby!
Possible discovery of liquid water on Europa
Possible discovery of ionosphere on Io
More about water on Europa
Wet and dry spots on Jupiter
Discovery of ionosphere on Europa
Galileo's tape recorder problem (NASA press release, 10/12/95)
Galileo's fixed tape recorder (NASA press release, 10/21/95)
More about Galileo's tape recorder (NASA press release, 10/26/95)
Miscellaneous
Galileo and the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact on Jupiter
Galileo lunar data
Obtain Galileo position data (heliographic coordinates)
Related Information/Data at NSSDC
Venus page
Earth page
Moon page
Jupiter page
Asteroid & Comets page
Other Sources of Galileo Orbiter Information/Data
Project
Galileo Project Home Page (NASA JPL)
Experiment Teams
Solid State Imaging (SSI) (NASA JPL)
Magnetometer (MAG) (UCLA)
Ultraviolet/Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS/EUVS) (U. Colorado)
Dust Detector (DDS) (MPI) Data
Heavy Ion Counter (HIC) page (Cal. Tech.)
Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) (UCLA)
Plasma Wave (PWS) (U. Iowa)
Plasma Particle (PLS) (U. Iowa)
PLS and PWS (U. Iowa) Data
Energetic Particles Detector (EPD) (JHU/APL)
Energetic Particles Detector (EPD) (U. Kansas) Data
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Education
Online from Jupiter (K-12 student/teacher information/activities)
NSSDC home page
For questions about this mission, please contact:
Dr. Edwin V. Bell II
GSFC-Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-286-1187
[email protected]
NSSDC Security and Privacy Statement
NASA Official: Ed Grayzeck, [email protected]
Last Updated: 2005-03-04
Output Generated: 2006-01-17
Programming by: E. V. Bell, II ([email protected])
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