Jupiter Has New Visitor, a Solar-Powered Spacecraft

PASADENA, Calif.— Soaring over Jupiter’s poles, a NASA spacecraft arrived at the solar system’s largest planet on a mission to peek behind the cloud tops.The final leg of the five-year voyage ended Monday when the solar-powered Juno spacecraft fired ...

This artist's rendering provided by NASA and JPL-Caltech shows the Juno spacecraft above the planet Jupiter. NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP

PASADENA, Calif.—Soaring over Jupiter’s poles, a NASA spacecraft arrived at the solar system’s largest planet on a mission to peek behind the cloud tops.

The final leg of the five-year voyage ended Monday when the solar-powered Juno spacecraft fired its main rocket engine and gracefully slipped into orbit around Jupiter. Mission controllers celebrated when Juno sent back radio signals confirming it reached its destination.

“We’re there. We’re in orbit. We conquered Jupiter,” Juno chief scientist Scott Bolton said during a post-mission briefing.

In the weeks leading up to the encounter, Juno snapped pictures of the giant planet and its four inner moons dancing around it. Scientists were surprised to see Jupiter’s second-largest moon, Callisto, appearing dimmer than expected.

Dr. Jim Green, Planetary Science Division Director, NASA, is seen in the mission control room, awaiting communication from Juno that the engine burn has begun, positioning the spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016 in Pasadena, CA. Photo by Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via Getty Images