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Jupiter and Mars machines get new life
Katyanna Quach Wed 13 Jan 2021 // 11:45 UTC Share
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NASA is extending the missions of the Juno spacecraft currently orbiting Jupiter and its moons and the Martian InSight lander probing for marsquakes until 2025 and 2022 respectively.
Officials consulted an independent review panel of scientists and engineers for advice on what to do with the spacecraft, as both had passed their original planned mission durations. Considering both are still in pretty good shape, the space agency decided to keep them in operation. The Senior Review has validated that these two planetary science missions are likely to continue to bring new discoveries, and produce new questions about our solar system, said Lori Glaze, NASA’s director of the planetary science division.
NASA Extends Exploration for Two Planetary Science Missions
InSight on Mars (Illustration): This illustration shows NASA s InSight spacecraft with its instruments deployed on the Martian surface. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Full image and caption ›
The missions – Juno and InSight – have each increased our understanding of our solar system, as well as spurred new sets of diverse questions.
As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon and on to Mars, the agency’s quest to seek answers about our solar system and beyond continues to inform those efforts and generate new discoveries. The agency has extended the missions of two spacecraft, following an external review of their scientific productivity.