7 Things You Need To Know About NASA's Big Jupiter Mission

2. When Will It Reach Jupiter?

Juno finally reached Jupiter on the 4th of July, and scientists were relieved that there weren't any any Independence Day fireworks as it successfully, and uneventfully, entered orbit.

As the little probe prepared to perform its "orbital insertion manoeuver" (which sounds unnecessarily dirty if you ask me), any instruments that were not absolutely vital for the manoeuver were shut down. As it reached the desired orbital position, it skimmed the uppermost Jovian clouds at an altitude of just 2,900 miles - that just slightly more than the horizontal width of the USA.

It will now begin its 20 month mission, winding its way in a complex series of 37 orbits over the planet's poles, each lasting 11 days and taking the little probe on a journey of over 2.2 billion miles. This is partially because the wildly elliptical orbit will allow it to dodge the worst of the radiation belts.

Then, finally, in February of 2018, Juno will take its kamikaze dive into the Jovian clouds where it will be ripped apart, but not before it has sent every scrap of data back to Earth, helping us to build a detailed picture of the giant planet.