When was the Galileo spacecraft launched?
The Galileo spacecraft lifted off at 16:53:40 UTC on the 18th of October 1989. It entered a 285-kilometer orbit before deploying Galileo at 00:15 UTC on October 19.
Questions about Galileo (spacecraft)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who named the Galileo mission after an Italian astronomer?
John R. Casani became the first project manager and solicited suggestions for an inspirational name. The most votes went to Galileo, though it was also the name of a spacecraft in Star Trek television shows.
What happened to the high-gain antenna on the Galileo spacecraft?
The large high-gain antenna failed to deploy during the mission. Engineers used the low-gain antenna instead to maintain communication with Earth.
Why did NASA crash the Galileo probe into Jupiter?
Lacking fuel to escape Jupiter's gravity well, the main spacecraft was deliberately crashed into Jupiter on the 21st of September 2003. This decision prevented forward contamination of possible life on Europa moon.
When did the Galileo spacecraft arrive at Jupiter?
Galileo arrived at Jupiter on the 7th of December 1995 after gravitational assist flybys of Venus and Earth. It departed JPL in Pasadena, California on the 19th of December 1985.