Researchers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center discovered nucleobases in meteorites. Nucleobases are small molecules found in DNA and RNA. This supports the theory that building blocks of DNA and RNA were created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorites.
This close-up of an active region was recorded over a period of 36 hours (July 20-22, 2011). The magnetic forces are restless inside an active region.
Read more about NASA\’s Solar Dynamics Observatory…
The Atlas V launch vehicle carrying Juno into space lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011. A second burn was performed by the Centaur upper stage in order to place Juno on a trajectory around the Sun.
At the end of its mission Juno will not end up on a parking orbit. Juno will disintegrate in the Jovian upper atmosphere. This will prevent the contamination of the worlds around Jupiter (especially Europa).
Juno will arrive at Jupiter in July 2016. The Jupiter Orbital Insertion maneuver will result in a highly elliptical polar orbit with the periapsis in the equatorial plane of Jupiter. The orbit will allow Juno to skim the upper atmosphere below the radiation belt.
Juno launch is scheduled for August 5, 2011. A deep space maneuver will change the trajectory of the spacecraft which will perform a gravity assist maneuver in October 2013. The maneuver will provide the energy increase that will allow Juno to reach Jupiter\’s orbit.
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