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Home The spacecraft is a “dual-spin” design — a controlled spin keeps Galileo stable. One section of the spacecraft rotates at 3rpm. On this section, six instruments rapidly gather data from many different directions. The other section of the spacecraft holds steady for the four instruments that must point accurately while Galileo is flying through space. (NASA) The spacecraft is a "dual-spin" design --- a controlled spin keeps Galileo stable. One section of the spacecraft rotates at 3rpm. On this section, six instruments rapidly gather data from many different directions. The other section of the spacecraft holds steady for the four instruments that must point accurately while Galileo is flying through space. (NASA)

The spacecraft is a “dual-spin” design — a controlled spin keeps Galileo stable. One section of the spacecraft rotates at 3rpm. On this section, six instruments rapidly gather data from many different directions. The other section of the spacecraft holds steady for the four instruments that must point accurately while Galileo is flying through space. (NASA)

The spacecraft is a "dual-spin" design --- a controlled spin keeps Galileo stable. One section of the spacecraft rotates at 3rpm. On this section, six instruments rapidly gather data from many different directions. The other section of the spacecraft holds steady for the four instruments that must point accurately while Galileo is flying through space. (NASA)

The spacecraft is a “dual-spin” design — a controlled spin keeps Galileo stable. One section of the spacecraft rotates at 3rpm. On this section, six instruments rapidly gather data from many different directions. The other section of the spacecraft holds steady for the four instruments that must point accurately while Galileo is flying through space. (NASA)

This graphic illustrates the four-step process for building “chaos terrains” on the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Image (NASA/University of Texas at Austin/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/ Lunar and Planetary Institute)
Europa’s “Great Lake.” Scientists speculate many more exist throughout the shallow regions of the moon’s icy shell. (Britney Schmidt/Dead Pixel VFX/Univ. of Texas at Austin.)