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Nearly four centuries ago, Galileo Galilei began the age of modern astronomy by studying the planets and stars using a telescope. That tool connected us to the heavens as scientific observers. Humans have dreamed of traveling to the planets for a closer look, and now that dream is a reality.
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| The Launch of Atlantis on STS-34 carrying the Galileo Spacecraft |
When the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft traveled to Jupiter in the nineteen-seventies -- they flew by, but couldn't stay, and there was a limit to what they could tell us. Scientists proposed a spacecraft that would stick around and study its environment in depth. A probe dropped through Jupiter's cloudtops would collect data as it descended. The result would be detailed information about Jupiter. The mission was named Galileo.
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| The Shuttle Deployment |
In October 1989,
Galileo was launched from Space Shuttle Atlantis. Astronaut Shannon
Lucid performed the delicate maneuvers to start Galileo on its
journey. To launch from the Shuttle, the spacecraft had to use a
small booster rocket that was not powerful enough to send Galileo
directly to Jupiter. But engineers had devised a way to "borrow"
enough power to get the spacecraft all the way to its destination.
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Quick Launch Facts
Launch Date
10/18/89
Launch Vehicle
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Mission
NASA STS-34
Launch Site
Kennedy Space Center
Pad 39-B
Booster for Galileo
Inertial Upper Stage
Shuttle Crew
-- Donald E. Williams, Commander
-- Michael J. McCulley, Pilot
-- Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist 1
-- Shannon W. Lucid, Mission Specialist 2
-- Ellen S. Baker, Mission Specialist 3
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