Jupiter

TECHNICAL DEFINITION

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest gas giant in the Solar System, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, characterized by its prominent Great Red Spot and a powerful magnetosphere.

BACKGROUND

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program, as well as research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the US and is organized into three mission directorates: Human Spaceflight, Research and Technology, and Science. Established in 1958 amid the Space Race, NASA succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to give the US space program a distinct civilian orientation focused on peaceful applications. Since then, it has led most American spaceflight programs, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the Apollo program, Skylab, the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station (ISS), and the ongoing multi-national Artemis program.

SYNONYMS & ALIASES

• King of Planets
• Gas Giant
• Jovian
• Giant Planet

USAGE NOTE

Jupiter's strong gravitational pull influences the asteroid belt.

DEVELOPERS

Organizations developing technology related to Jupiter.

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

  JPL manages and operates NASA's primary missions to Jupiter, including the currently orbiting Juno spacecraft and the upcoming Europa Clipper mission, which will study Jupiter's moon Europa.

• European Space Agency (ESA)

  ESA is leading the JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission, launched in 2023, to conduct detailed observations of the gas giant and three of its largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.

• Airbus Defence and Space

  As the prime contractor for the European Space Agency's JUICE mission, Airbus is responsible for the design, development, construction, and testing of the spacecraft destined for the Jovian system.

• Lockheed Martin Space

  Lockheed Martin designed and built the Juno spacecraft, which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, studying its atmosphere, magnetosphere, and gravitational fields.

• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

  SwRI develops scientific instruments and provides mission leadership for Jupiter exploration. The principal investigator for the Juno mission is from SwRI, and the institute has developed key instruments for both Juno and the upcoming Europa Clipper.

• Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)

  APL is building the main body of the Europa Clipper spacecraft and providing several of its scientific instruments, including the plasma instrument and thermal emission imager, for its mission to Jupiter's moon Europa.

• Italian Space Agency (ASI)

  ASI is a major international partner in Jupiter missions, contributing key scientific instruments like the JIRAM infrared mapper for NASA's Juno mission and the RIME ice-penetrating radar for ESA's JUICE mission.

• Ball Aerospace

  Ball Aerospace develops critical components for Jupiter-bound spacecraft. They built the high-gain antenna for the Europa Clipper mission, which is essential for communicating with Earth from the Jovian system.