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On Thursday, February 11th experts from the "Juno" space mission to the planet Jupiter will explain the details of the project and the objectives of a study to understand the origin of our solar system, the formation of giant planets, and their evolution. The talks, to be held in Isdefe’s auditorium at 6:00 pm, will feature participation by two of its most important participants: Dr. Scott J. Bolton, Lead Researcher, and Rick Nybakken, Director of the "Juno" project.
Launched by NASA in August 2011, the "Juno" spacecraft will reach Jupiter on July the 4th. This mission’s interest stems from the fact Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, with more than twice the mass of all the other planets combined, and is also believed to be the first to have formed.
Dr. Scott J. Bolton is the Juno lead researcher and deputy vice president of the Southwest Research Institute of Space Science’s (SwRI) Engineering Division in San Antonio, Texas. Since 1988 he has been the lead researcher for NASA on various programs, particularly studies on modeling the radiation belts of Jupiter and Saturn, atmospheric dynamics and composition, and the formation and evolution of the solar system. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and documentaries, with more than 150 articles about space science being of special note.
Rick Nybakken is the project manager for the Juno mission, where he has worked since its inception in February 2006. He is associated with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and has held numerous management and technical positions in this company, including responsibilities for recognizing the orbit of Mars and on the Cassini, SeaWinds, Quikscat, Galileo and Magellan missions.
Some important aspects of the giant planet remain a mystery, such as its interior structure, including the size or even the existence of a central core, the dynamics of its atmosphere and its magnetic field. Thanks to microwave radiometry NASA will have the opportunity to study the planet for 20 months, from 5,000 km away, in order to better understand its origin, internal structure, and the composition and characteristics of its atmosphere and magnetosphere. To unravel Jupiter’s origin it is essential to understand how our solar system began, the formation of giant planets, and their evolution.
Isdefe manages the operation, maintenance and support of the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) for the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), which is responsible for the facilities, in accordance with the 1964 agreement between Spain and the United States. The MDSCC, located in Robledo de Chavela (Madrid), is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which in 2014 celebrated its 50th anniversary, and is where communications with space missions are controlled. The mission has been followed from the Deep Space Network since its was launched.
On behalf of Isdefe, the talks will be attended by Jesus Alonso, Director of Business Development, who will open and close the event. It will also be attended by an INTA representative, who will introduce the two speakers.
If you need more information or would like to attend the event, please click here