Juno, Built to Withstand Intense Radiation Environments

Juno has been headed for Jupiter since 2011 to study the gas giant’s atmosphere, aurora, gravity and magnetic field. This infographic illustrates the radiation environments Juno has traveled through on its journey near Earth and in interplanetary space. All of space is filled with particles, and when these particles get moving at high speeds, they’re called radiation. NASA studies space radiation to better protect spacecraft as they travel through space, as well as to understand how this space environment influences planetary evolution. After Jupiter orbit insertion on July 4, 2016, Juno will have the chance to study one of the most intense radiation environments in our solar system.