From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article ,   
   Larry G  wrote:   
   >Here's a question I've always wondered about.  How come no space probe (that   
   >I'm aware of) has taken photos inside Jupiter's (or any of the large   
   >planets') atmosphere?   
      
   Because there has only ever been one probe into Jupiter's atmosphere --   
   the Galileo atmosphere probe -- and various design limitations (not least,   
   the fact that it was built with early-1970s electronics) made a camera   
   impossible there.   
      
   >Or at least photos from a very low orbit.   
      
   Very low Jupiter orbits tend to involve very high radiation doses and are   
   most unhealthy for electronics.  The only probe that has really passed low   
   over Jupiter was Pioneer 11, which made one quick flyby; it had only a   
   very simple camera system, and didn't get many pictures, especially from   
   high-radiation areas where the camera kept having to be reset.   
      
   Both Galileo and its probe passed through such altitudes on their way into   
   Jupiter, of course, but the probe had no camera and Galileo's antenna   
   problems prevented real-time image transmission during its last hours.   
      
   >...Are there any known plans to send a probe that could   
   >withstand the extreme temps (or gravity?) to achieve such a feat?   
      
   There is interest in doing more Jupiter atmosphere probes -- especially   
   since Galileo's probe, annoyingly enough, seems to have gone into a fairly   
   unusual area and so we're not sure how its data generalizes to Jupiter's   
   atmosphere as a whole -- but so far, no funded missions.   
   --   
   MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec    | Henry Spencer   
   pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well.  | henry@spsystems.net   
      
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