Galileo Europa Mission Status
November 9, 1998
MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
The Galileo spacecraft has finished transmitting to Earth the bulk of the pictures and science information recorded onboard during the September 26 flyby of Jupiter's moon Europa. Among remaining data to be sent this week are a dozen images, including a mosaic of pictures taken near Europa's terminator, the dividing line between dayside and nightside. Three sets of images will be returned of the Agenor Linea, a bright area believed to be fairly young.
Science data transmission by Galileo will be suspended twice this week, on Thursday and Friday, November 12-13, so the spacecraft can perform regular propulsion system maintenance and a standard gyroscope test. Preliminary results from a gyro test on Thursday, November 5, show no significant changes in performance.
These activities are part of preparation for the spacecraft's next encounter with Europa on November 22. A final Europa flyby is on the calendar for early 1999, followed by four flybys of Jupiter's moon Callisto and one or two of Jupiter's moon Io, depending on spacecraft health.
The Galileo Europa Mission is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
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