Galileo: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

On this day in space! Nov. 5, 2002: NASA's Galileo spacecraft flies by Jupiter moon Amalthea only to find it's a 'pile of icy rubble less dense than water' • Nov. 5, 2026, 1:27 PM ET (Space)

On this day in space! Oct. 29, 1991: NASA's Galileo spacecraft flies by asteroid Gaspra and snaps amazing photos while flying at 18,000 mph • Oct. 29, 2026, 5:28 PM ET (Space)

Photos and Videos

Galileo flying by Io

Diagram showing Galileo spacecraft's path from its 1989 launch near Earth, past Venus and Earth for gravity assists, through the asteroid belt, with labeled flybys and milestones, ending at Jupiter and its moons.

asteroid Ida and its satellite, Dactyl

Giant vortices in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, imaged by the Galileo spacecraft on May 7, 1997. The oval on the left is a cyclonic storm system, rotating in a clockwise direction. The oval on the right is an anticyclone, with a counterclockwise rotation.

Jupiter's moon Amalthea

Know about the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa and the possibility of life beneath it

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Akatsuki Apollo 13 New Horizons Dragon Kaguya Buran Juno Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Rosetta Dawn