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Galileo - Countdown To Ganymede 8

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 Ganymede on May 7, 1997 at at distance of 1,585 km. This encounter is referred to as Ganymede 8 since it is on the eighth 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 (May 7, 1997)
• Galileo Status Reports

Galileo Events

• Ganymede 8 Flyby (May 7, 1997)

Ganymede Information & Images

• Ganymede Fact Sheet
  
• Ganymede 8 Quick-Look Orbit Facts
• Ganymede 8 Timeline
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 1 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 2 Flyby
• Galileo Image Guide on Ganymede
• Voyager 1 & 2 Images
• Hubble Space Telescope Images
• Pioneer 10 & 11 Images
• Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 & Ganymede

Europa Information & Images

• Europa Fact Sheet
• 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

Io Information & Images

• Io Fact Sheet
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 1 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Ganymede 2 Flyby
• Galileo Images From Callisto 3 Flyby
• Voyager 1 & 2 Images
• Galileo Image Guide on Europa
• Hubble Space Telescope Images
• Pioneer 11 Images

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 Ganymede on May 7, 1997
  
  • MPEG - 2.2 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • MPEG - 974K, 320x200 resolution
  • Quicktime - 5.4 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • Quicktime - 2.4 MB, 320x200 resolution

• Overhead View of the Galileo Flyby of Ganymede on May 7, 1997
  
  • MPEG - 688K , 640x480 resolution
  • MPEG - 676K, 320x200 resolution
  • Quicktime - 1.3 MB, 640x480 resolution
  • Quicktime - 676K, 320x200 resolution

Previous Galileo Countdown Pages

• Ganymede 7 (April 5, 1997).
• Europa 6 (February 20, 1997).
• Jupiter 5 (January 19, 1997).
• Europa 4 (December 19, 1996).
• Callisto 3 (November 4, 1996).
• Ganymede 2 (September 6, 1996).
• Ganymede 1 (June 27, 1996).
• Jupiter Orbit Insertion (December 7, 1995).