The Galileo Spacecraft was designed to explore the Jovian System and gain more close looks at the largest planet of our solar system. It was launched on October 18, 1989 onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, after being delayed due to the Columbia tragedy. And because of the delay its flight path was altered, now Galileo would have to use gravity assist to go around Venus once and the Earth twice to gain enough velocity to reach Jupiter. …showed first 75 words of 393 total…

…showed last 75 words of 393 total…Mission. The Millenium Mission supposed to last to at least February 2001. In December this year the Cassini spacecraft on its way to Saturn will join Galileo in observing Ganymede. Scientists believe that Europa might contain a flowing ocean beneath the icy surface and so simple lifeforms may be present. Galileo might have some microbes onboard and so as a precaution Galileo might be crashed sometime in 2002 into either Jupiter or one of its icy moons.