JPL And NASA To Discuss First Jupiter Scientific Findings, From Juno -- Tomorrow At 2 PM EDT

Yet again, a space science story has fired my imagination, anew. [Backgrounder, here.]

I'll live update, here -- if something extraordinary is disclosed. And with each new space science plunge (some 14 -- yet to go!), the little craft is more profoundly imperiled -- but onward she sails, at 129,000 miles an hour, just the same. Fearless. And that, too, is admirable. NASA will host a press gathering, tomorrow at 1 PM local time, to explain the first batch of science papers, from sweet Juno's data:

. . . .Scientists from NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter will discuss their first in-depth science results in a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, when multiple papers with early findings will be published online by the journal Science and Geophysical Research Letters.

The teleconference participants are:

Diane Brown, program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington

Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio

Jack Connerney, deputy principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

Heidi Becker, Juno radiation monitoring investigation lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California

Candy Hansen, Juno co-investigator at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona

To participate in the teleconference, media must email their name and affiliation to Laurie Cantillo at laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov by noon Thursday. Media and the public also may ask questions during the briefing on Twitter using #askNASA. . . .

Now you know -- and we will all know more, tomorrow afternoon. Smiling, as I too will twist through a clear, bright morning, tomorrow. . . Sleep well, one and all. . . Pax tecum.

नमस्ते

O/T Space Science: NASA's Juno To Dive Just Above Jovian Polar Cloudtops Saturday Morning...

This too (just like the July 4 orbital insertion) may be a white-knuckle ride -- as this first closest range dip will splatter the Juno craft with radioactive particles moving at near light speed -- and likely at least a few microscopic sized "mini-projectiles", traveling at perhaps a tenth of light speed. At those speeds, and at the right angle of attack, a particle could penetrate the titanium strong box and wreak havoc with the electronics. Not likely, but possible.

So, we will hold a good thought, along with the hot coffee in our coffee mugs, bright and early Saturday. Grin. About this time next week we will see our first high res images of the raging storms at the polar vortex of Jupiter. Whoosh. Here is the NASA mission page update:

. . . .This Saturday at 5:51 a.m. PDT, (8:51 a.m. EDT, 12:51 UTC) NASA's Juno spacecraft will get closer to the cloud tops of Jupiter than at any other time during its prime mission. At the moment of closest approach, Juno will be about 2,500 miles (4,200 kilometers) above Jupiter's swirling clouds and traveling at 130,000 mph (208,000 kilometers per hour) with respect to the planet. There are 35 more close flybys of Jupiter scheduled during its prime mission (scheduled to end in February of 2018). The Aug. 27 flyby will be the first time Juno will have its entire suite of science instruments activated and looking at the giant planet as the spacecraft zooms past.

"This is the first time we will be close to Jupiter since we entered orbit on July 4," said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Back then we turned all our instruments off to focus on the rocket burn to get Juno into orbit around Jupiter. Since then, we have checked Juno from stem to stern and back again. We still have more testing to do, but we are confident that everything is working great, so for this upcoming flyby Juno's eyes and ears, our science instruments, will all be open. . . ."

Onward then -- listening to Live -- "Dolphin's Cry" -- on a walk home; then get a couple of good nights' sleep, and rise early Saturday -- for some biking, before fly-bys. Smile. Be excellent to one another.

नमस्ते