page_title: Galileo Probe
hierarchical_section_title: Galileo Probe
caption_attribution_description: Artist's impression of the Galileo spacecraft (1989–2003). Artist's description: "The Galileo Probe leaves the Orbiter some 180 days before the encounter. Digital painting for NASA Ames."
context_page_description: The Galileo Probe was an atmospheric-entry probe carried by the main Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, where it directly entered a hot spot and returned data from the planet. The 339-kilogram probe was built by Hughes Aircraft Company at its El Segundo, California plant, and measured about 1.3 meters across. Inside the probe's heat shield, the scientific instruments were protected from extreme heat and pressure during its high-speed journey into the Jovian atmosphere, entering at 47.8 kilometers per second. It entered Jupiter on December 7, 1995, 22:04 UTC and stopped functioning at 23:01 UTC, 57 minutes and 36 seconds later.
context_section_description: The Galileo Probe was an atmospheric-entry probe carried by the main Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, where it directly entered a hot spot and returned data from the planet. The 339-kilogram (747 lb) probe was built by Hughes Aircraft Company at its El Segundo, California plant, and measured about 1.3 meters (4.3 ft) across. Inside the probe's heat shield, the scientific instruments were protected from extreme heat and pressure during its high-speed journey into the Jovian atmosphere, entering at 47.8 kilometers (29.7 mi) per second. It entered Jupiter on December 7, 1995, 22:04 UTC and stopped functioning at 23:01 UTC, 57 minutes and 36 seconds later.
caption: Illustration of Galileo Probe release from carrier
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