After a near five year journey from its Atlas V 551 launch in August 2011, NASA’s unmanned space probe Juno, has reached its destination, the Jovian system (the planet Jupiter and its moons). Scientists and mission engineers received notification that its engine had managed to slow the Juno spacecraft into orbit around the gas-giant Jupiter. The 35 minute burn was initiated at 0318 GMT on 5 July 2016.
The spacecraft will now take detailed photographic and scientific observations of the planet and its moons. The high radiation environment of the Jovian system remains a hazard and the instruments aboard Juno have been carefully shielded.
