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NASA launches Juno probe to explore Jupiter

05 August 2011 22:27 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The sun-powered unmanned probe Juno set off on Friday on a five-year cruise to Jupiter to explore the secrets of the Solar System formation through scrutinizing the biggest planet, NASA said, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

Juno was sent from an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket that blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 50 minutes later than scheduled. The delay was caused by a helium leak in the ground-based support systems.

NASA said that Juno’s mission is to "determine how much water is in Jupiter’s atmosphere" as well to measure composition, temperature, cloud motions and other properties of the planet’s atmosphere.

Juno’s five-year journey is divided into two stages. The robotic scout is expected to return to the Earth in 2013 in order to take run, using our planet’s gravitation, and then again reach Jupiter in 2016.

Juno’s mission is the second in NASA’s New Frontiers program. During the first one, the New Horizons probe was sent to explore Pluto in 2006 and should arrive at its target in 2015.