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Juno (New Frontiers 2 or NF2) is a space mission to Jupiter launched in 2011, which reached Jupiter orbit in 2016, and is studying Jupiter's gravity, composition, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. It is NASA's second New Frontiers mission. Among its goals is acquisition of data regarding the nature of Jupiter's atmosphere, to help determine whether shallow atmosphere models (Jupiter's visible surface patterns reflect near-surface weather features) or deep atmosphere models (the surface patterns are the top of wind patterns that extend thousands of km in depth) apply. Juno data has been consistent with models that have winds down to 3000 km deep.
Upon reaching Jupiter in July 2016, the spacecraft was inserted in a 53-day orbit, an event termed the Juno Orbit Insertion or JOI. The original plan included a shift to a 14-day orbit, for 37 orbits in all, but that plan was revised due to equipment issues. The revised plan was for 12 53-day orbits ending in July 2018, and has been extended twice, now aiming to continue orbiting into 2025, the final year in a 33-day orbit. The plan is to terminate the mission by destroying the spacecraft, sending it into the Jupiter atmosphere, the current practice to assure no chance of the spacecraft subsequently contaminating any of the moons that might harbor life. Instruments:
Juno (3 Juno) is also the name of a prominent asteroid.