NASA spacecraft gradually approaching Jupiter’s moon Io

On July 30, a spinning, solar-powered spacecraft is set to revisit the fiery Jovian moon, Io, for a closer inspection.

NASA’s Juno mission will make its closest approach yet, coming within 13,700 miles (22,000 kilometers) of the volcanic moon. The spacecraft will utilize various scientific instruments, including the Italian-built JIRAM (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper), to gather valuable data about the hundreds of erupting volcanoes on Io, spewing molten lava and sulfurous gases across the moon’s surface.

Although JIRAM was primarily designed to study Jupiter’s polar aurora, its capability to detect heat sources has proved crucial in identifying active volcanoes on Io. With each flyby, Juno’s instruments, including JIRAM, continue to add to the growing repository of data about the moon, enhancing our understanding of its surface features and their evolution over time.

Launched in 2011, the spinning, solar-powered Juno spacecraft has been exploring the Jovian system since 2016 and is now entering the third year of its extended mission, which will begin on July 31.

Io, slightly larger than Earth’s moon, endures constant gravitational forces from both Jupiter and its Galilean siblings, Europa and Ganymede, leading to continuous stretching and squeezing of the moon. These actions are responsible for the frequent volcanic activity observed on Io’s surface.

During the last flyby of Io on May 16, Juno’s JunoCam imager captured intriguing changes in the moon’s Volund region, providing evidence of volcanic activity. Meanwhile, the JIRAM infrared imager, developed by the Italian Space Agency, captured images of Loki Patera, the largest volcanic depression on Io, suggesting the presence of an active volcano.

The Juno mission has not only been dedicated to scientific exploration but has also engaged young scientists and students. On July 17, Juno Principal Investigator Scott Bolton and other mission members met with 49 students and early career scientists from various parts of Europe at the University of Rome. During a weeklong workshop, these young minds delved into Juno’s cutting-edge data on Jupiter and its moons, fostering exciting scientific projects and furthering the future of planetary exploration in Europe.