The Juno Jupiter orbiter spacecraft has completed its slowdown engine burn, performed its orbit insertion maneuver and is in orbit around the gas giant, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said Tuesday.
Engine burn complete and orbit obtained. I’m ready to unlock all your secrets, #Jupiter. Deal with it.
— NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) July 5, 2016
Main engine burn is go. I’m burnin', burnin', burnin' for you, #Jupiter. pic.twitter.com/b3SHm3Gphj
— NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) July 5, 2016
Juno will make two 53-day elliptical laps around Jupiter, before beginning the mission's science phase, according to NASA.
Juno will orbit for two years, sending reams of images that will be available on NASA websites, and a flood of data from sensors that are heavily shielded from a violent radiation storm that is unique in its intensity to the solar system’s largest planet.
Time delay between Jupiter and the Earth is 48 minutes.
Success! Engine burn complete. #Juno is now orbiting #Jupiter, poised to unlock the planet's secrets. https://t.co/YFsOJ9YYb5
— NASA (@NASA) July 5, 2016