The juno new frontiers mission

Acta Astronautica 61 (2007) 932 – 939 www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro

The Juno New Frontiers mission
Steve Matousek
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, USA Received 15 February 2006; accepted 11 December 2006 Available online 4 May 2007

Abstract Peering down through the clouds and deep into Jupiter’s atmosphere, Juno reveals fundamental processes of the formation and early evolution of our solar system. Using a simple, solar powered, spinning spacecraft in an innovative, highly elliptical polar orbit, Juno avoids Jupiter’s highest radiation regions. The mission combines high heritage instruments and spacecraft with an experienced science and engineering team. The designs of the individual instruments are straightforward and have excellent heritage from previous space missions. Juno’s scientific payload includes a dual frequency gravity/radio science system, a six wavelength Microwave Radiometer (MWR) for atmospheric sounding and composition, a dual-technique magnetometer, plasma detectors, energetic particle detectors (EPDs), a radio/plasma wave experiment, and an Ultraviolet Imager/Spectrometer. Juno’s payload also includes a color camera to provide the public with their first glimpse of Jupiter’s poles. Juno will launch in July, 2010 or August, 2011 and arrive at Jupiter 5.2 years later. The nominal mission ends one year after Jupiter arrival with a deorbit into Jupiter’s atmosphere. © 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Overview Juno’s goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter (Fig. 1). Juno’s science focuses on the Origin, Interior; Atmosphere and Magnetosphere of Jupiter. The mission addresses: Origin by examining the mass of the solid core and the abundance of heavy elements in the atmosphere to discriminate among models for giant planet formation; interior by mapping the gravitational and magnetic fields to determine Jupiter’s structure; atmosphere by sounding to pressures > 100 bars using microwave