Subject line: origin and evolution of the Giant Planets.

Responsibility of the Mission: NASA

Date of launch: August 5th, 2011

End of mission: 2022

 

Description

JUNO, selected in 2005, is the second mission of the NASA New Frontiers programme and is aimed at observing Jupiter. The launch took place on August 5th, 2011 from Cape Canaveral and the space probe arrived in the Jupiter orbit on July 4th, 2016. After the cruising stage, which included a fly-by around Earth performed on October 9th, 2013, Juno entered a polar orbit around Jupiter whose pericentre is equal to 1.06 Jupiter radii, optimized according to the scientific requirements and chosen also to minimize the exposition of the instruments to radiations. Juno will orbit around Jupiter for a year, for a total of 33 orbits. 

 

Scientific goals

The Juno mission aims at analysing the characteristics of Jupiter as a representative of the Giant Planets. In fact, Jupiter can provide us with the necessary knowledge to understand the origin of the Solar System and the planetary systems we are discovering around other stars.

Juno’s scientific goals mainly consist in understanding the origin and evolution of the planet Jupiter (there are currently three different theories on its formation), determining the internal structure of the planet and assessing whether it has a solid nucleus, exploring the polar magnetosphere and researching the origin of the magnetic field, measuring the abundance of water, characterising the winds in the low atmosphere and the relative abundance of oxygen and nitrogen and the variations due to atmospheric phenomena. Furthermore, another objective of the mission is observing Jupiter’s aurora borealis, already observed on Earth, and understanding its mechanism with the purpose of studying the magnetic field of the planet and its interaction with the atmosphere. With its spinning configuration, Juno will perform a complete map of Jupiter’s gravitational and magnetic fields and a study on the composition of the atmosphere. To reach such goals, a special focus was placed on defining the orbit, which will be polar and will undergo a precession motion to obtain a better coverage of the planet.

 

Italian contribution

The Italian participation in the mission is based on the now established experience in the field of spectrometers, optical cameras and radio science. In particular, Italy provided two instruments: the JIRAM infrared imaging spectrometer (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper, PI Alberto Adriani from the INAF-IAPS, manufactured by Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s Avionics Division) and the KaT radio science instrument (Ka-Band Translator, PI Luciano Iess from the Sapienza University of Rome, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space-I), representing the Ka-band portion of the gravity experiment. Both instruments take advantage of important synergies with the similar instruments under development for the BepiColombo mission, optimizing costs and increasing both the scientific and technological role of Italy.

 

International agreements

LoA signed by the NASA and the ASI on March 21st, 2008.

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75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan: A Step Forward for Africa in Space ‣

From October 14 to 18, 2024, Milan hosted the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), one of the largest global events in the space sector, which brought together space agencies, universities, research centers, industries, and numerous representatives from civil society around the world. This unique opportunity for dialogue and collaboration offered an unprecedented chance for the development of space capabilities in emerging countries this year. Among the participants, with the support of ASI in collaboration with the Ministry of University and Research, were 14 Fellows—young professionals and students, including 9 women and 5 men—hailing from 11 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda. This participation reflects the commitment of the Italian Government under the Mattei Plan for Africa, aimed at fostering greater inclusivity and diversity in the space sector, with a particular focus on promoting African youth talent. In addition to these promising individuals, 12 SMEs and startups from various African countries had the opportunity to participate in this important event. These companies included:

  • DO-Launch (Egypt),
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  • Team AHEAD (Rwanda),
  • KM-Spatial (Zimbabwe),
  • TELNET HOLDING (Tunisia),
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These African companies were invited to participate in IAC 2024 as part of the collaboration between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and ICE Agency. Thanks to ICE’s support, the businesses were accompanied by commercial analysts and hosted in a large exhibition area, where they had the opportunity to hold B2B meetings and participate in the conference's various networking initiatives. Their participation allowed them to gain full visibility into cutting-edge developments across all space domains. Furthermore, ICE Agency, within the framework of its collaboration with ASI, also hosted heads of space agencies and institutions responsible for space policies from African countries. This initiative strengthens ties between Italy and emerging space nations, promoting sustainable partnerships and the development of local capabilities through knowledge exchange and technological innovation. The 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan thus reaffirms itself as a crucial event not only for the global space community but also for emerging nations, offering a valuable opportunity to build lasting collaborations and advance the development of the space sector in Africa.