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Galileo - Countdown to Europa 4

Galileo's orbital tour consists of 11 different elliptical orbits around Jupiter. Each orbit (except one) includes a close flyby and gravity assist of one of the Galilean moons (Ganymede, Callisto or Europa) near the inner (Jupiter) end of the orbit. Distant scientific encounters with additional satellites are scheduled for a number of orbits, and the spacecraft will observe Io at medium range on every orbit.

The next satellite flyby will occur when Galileo flies by Europa at at distance of 695 km. This encounter is referred to as Europa 4 since it is on the fourth orbit of the 11 orbit tour. Careful targeting allows each flyby to direct the spacecraft on to its next satellite encounter and the spacecraft's next orbit around Jupiter. During the orbital tour, Galileo will fly by Ganymede four times, Callisto three, and Europa three.

Galileo News

• Live Doppler Plots (Dec 18-19, 1996)
• Galileo Status Reports

Galileo Events

• Galileo Finds Europa Has An Atmosphere (July 18, 1997)
• Galileo Science Briefing (January 17, 1997)
• Galileo Science Briefing (December 12, 1996)
• Galileo Lecture (December 12, 1996)
• Europa 4 Flyby (December 19, 1996)
• Europa 4 "Where on Earth" Photo Contest

Europa Information & Images

• Europa Fact Sheet
• Europa 4 Quick-Look Orbit Facts
• Europa 4 Timeline
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 1 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 2 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Callisto 3 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Europa 4 Flyby
• Voyager 1 & 2 Images
• Galileo Image Guide on Europa
• Hubble Space Telescope Images
• Pioneer 10 Images
• Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 & Europa

Ganymede Information & Images

• Ganymede Fact Sheet
  
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 1 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 2 Flyby
• Voyager 1 & 2 Images
• Hubble Space Telescope Images
• Pioneer 10 & 11 Images
• Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 & Ganymede

Callisto Information & Images

Amalthea Information & Images

• Amalthea Fact Sheet
• Galileo Images
• Voyager 1 & 2 Images

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• Computer Simulation of the Galileo Flyby of Europa on December 19, 1996
  
  • MPEG - 1.5 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • MPEG - 582K, 320x200 resolution
  • Quicktime - 4.0 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • Quicktime - 1.6 MB, 320x200 resolution

• Overhead View of the Galileo Flyby of Callisto on December 19, 1996
  
  • MPEG - 602K , 640x480 resolution
  • MPEG - 315K, 320x200 resolution
  • Quicktime - 1.2 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • Quicktime - 649K, 320x200 resolution

Previous Galileo Countdown Pages

• Callisto 3 (November 4, 1996).
• Ganymede 2 (September 6, 1996).
• Ganymede 1 (June 27, 1996).
• Jupiter Orbit Insertion (December 7, 1995).