Galileo - Mission to Jupiter

Science objectives

Galileo is designed to conduct an extensive and comprehensive investigation of the Jovian system. The main scientific targets are:

• high resolution imaging of the Galilean satellites
• surface/atmospheric composition and thermal mapping
• atmospheric particles, thermal/reflected radiation
• atmospheric gases, aerosols,...
• strengths and fluctuations of magnetic fields
• global distributions of energetic electrons and ions in the Jovian magnetosphere
• plasma composition and energy distribution of ions
• electromagnetic waves and wave particle interactions
• mass, velocity, charge of sub-micrometer particles
• heavy ion charged particles
• masses and internal structures of the moons
• satellite radii and atmospheric structure