NASA’s Juno spacecraft is ready to begin its five-year journey to Jupiter with a boost from Cape Canaveral this Friday, August 5th. On that day, the launch window opens at 11:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time and remains open through 12:43 EDT.
Weather appears to be cooperating and the launch period for Juno begins on Friday and extends through August 26.
Juno is set for a cruise to Jupiter, arriving in July 2016. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for about one year (33 orbits) and will end with de-orbit into the massive planet.
Juno will improve our understanding of our solar system’s beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter.
Named after the wife of the god Jupiter in Roman mythology, Juno will be placed in a polar orbit around the planet for one year to explore the polar magnetosphere and origin of the magnetic field.
The mission will also provide insight into the origin of Jupiter itself by investigating the deep interior of the planet, determining the amount of global water and ammonia present in the atmosphere, and studying convection and deep wind profiles in the atmosphere.
The forecast for a Friday morning launch calls for a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions with the primary concern being heavy clouds at launch time.
Meteorologists are monitoring Tropical Storm Emily this week, too, but the storm is not expected to reach the Central Florida region, where Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is located, until at least Friday night. However, the official forecast notes that storm tracks and intensity predictions can shift dramatically over time.
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By Leonard David