The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the expansion of scientific programs on two important missions to study the planets of the solar system.
We are talking about the Juno and InSight projects for the exploration of Jupiter and Mars, respectively. The Juno device was launched back in August 2011, and it reached the gas giant in July 2016. It was planned to operate the device until July of this year.
But as is now reported, NASA has decided to extend the Juno science program until September 2025 or until the probe fails, whichever comes first. Moreover, the automatic station will have to study not only Jupiter itself, but also its largest satellites – Io, Europa and Ganymede. Juno is believed to be able to fly past these moons, gathering critical scientific information.
As for the InSight project, this landing station went to Mars in May 2018 and reached its destination in November of the same year. It is important to note that InSight is a stationary vehicle that is unable to navigate the surface of the Red Planet.
In accordance with the new plans, the InSight mission has been extended for two years – until December 2022. The device is designed to study the internal structure and processes occurring in the thickness of the Martian soil. The complex of scientific equipment includes a seismometer and a probe for measuring the heat flow under the planet’s surface.
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