The Sundarban 
A visualization of NASA’s Juno probe orbiting Jupiter.
(Image credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s spinning spacecraft discovering out the satellites of the photo voltaic system’s largest celestial physique (with the exception of the solar), may already be switched off, but the distance company received’t notify.
The Juno probe launched in 2011 and entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, initiating what become at the start planned as a 20-month mission. Virtually a decade later, the spacecraft has delivered unheard of study of the Jovian system, gazing the gasoline giant, its many moons and faint ring system long previous its meant lifespan.
NASA has extended Juno’s mission multiple occasions, most unbiased as of late in 2021, guaranteeing operations via Sept. 30, 2025. That date has now handed, and with the U.S. government shut down, there may be no be aware but on whether or not Juno will come out alive on the opposite aspect.
Juno’s most unusual extension broadened its mission from discovering out Jupiter’s interior and magnetosphere to encompass the planet’s rings and observations of its titanic moons.
“By extending the science goals of this important orbiting observatory, the Juno team will start tackling a breadth of science historically required of flagships,” Lori Glaze, NASA’s planetary science division director at the time, said in a assertion. And Juno has done elegant that.
All the tactic via the last several years, the spacecraft has performed shut flybys of the moons Ganymede, Europa and Io, delivering knowledge on their geology, environments and composition. Juno has also investigated Jupiter’s faint ring system, whereas continuing to scheme the planet’s powerful magnetic and gravitational fields.
These results have contributed to preparations for upcoming missions luxuriate in Europa Clipper, NASA’s next important Jupiter spacecraft. Europa Clipper launched in Oct. 2024, and is scheduled to near at Jupiter in April 2030 to peek the moon after which the spacecraft is known as. Ending Juno’s mission earlier than Europa Clipper’s arrival would originate a years-long gap in devoted observations of that allotment of our photo voltaic system, leaving scientists without new knowledge till the tip of the last decade.
Breaking space data, the most unusual updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
In an electronic mail shared with Arrangement.com, NASA Planetary Science Division Media Lead Molly Wasser referenced Juno’s 2021 extension pronouncing the “mission was extended to September of 2025. This is the most recent update. Regarding the future of the mission, NASA will abide by the law.”
Due to the government shutdown, NASA is within the meanwhile unable to notify whether or not Juno continues to be working or already powered down. At the time of newsletter, responses from company officials dispute that “NASA is currently closed due to a lapse in government funding … Please reach back out after an appropriation or continuing resolution is approved.”
Underneath shutdown principles, simplest missions that fall below “excepted activities” — these required to provide protection to existence, property, or nationwide security — can proceed operations or communications. NASA’s continuity plans also specify that carryover funding may simplest be applied to “presidential priorities,” which limits what science capabilities can proceed at some stage in a lapse.
Juno does not fall into these stable categories, and become also zeroed-out on the President’s fiscal year 2026 finances query — making the mission, presumably, not a precedence. So, till normal government operations resume, the spacecraft’s future is unsure.
Be half of our Arrangement Forums to preserve talking space on the most unusual missions, night time sky and more! And ought to you have a data tip, correction or observation, let us know at: community@space.com.
Josh Dinner is the Workers Creator for Spaceflight at Arrangement.com. He’s a author and photographer with a fondness for science and space exploration, and has been working the distance beat since 2016. Josh has covered the evolution of NASA’s commercial spaceflight partnerships and crewed missions from the Arrangement Fly, in addition to to NASA science missions and more. He also enjoys building 1:144-scale mannequin rockets and human-flown spacecraft. Receive a couple of of Josh’s start photography on Instagram and his web assign, and practice him on X, where he mostly posts in haiku.
