Looking at the scientific instruments of JUNO, there doesn't appear to be a camera. Furthermore, no mention is made of any photos being returned in the scientific objectives. Will anything resembling a photo be returned from JUNO?
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asked Oct 10, 2013 at 18:30
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2 Answers
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Actually, there is a visible light camera/telescope onboard. From a page on Juno by Lockheed Martin that built it:
Junocam: An education and public outreach visible-light camera provides first pictures of Jupiter’s poles (Malin Space Science Systems).
Going through Juno Telecommunications Design and Performance documentation (PDF) to find more explanations on JunoCam, I've found these requirements, capabilities, and constraints during the Science Orbits phase (page 2):
Primary science observations will be obtained within 3 hours of closest approach to Jupiter during each orbit. Calibrations, occasional remote sensing, and magnetospheric science observations are planned throughout the orbits. JunoCam will provide visible-light three-color images for educational and public outreach purposes.
later on page 79:
MWR [Microwave Radiometer], JIRAM [Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper], and JunoCam will be off during Grav [Gravity Science] passes, although we will consider using JIRAM and JunoCam as allowed by power, thermal, and other Flight System and mission operations constraints.
and on that same page:
Later orbits are also constrained by data rate and volume, but we no longer expect to use MWR, JIRAM, and JunoCam.
So JunoCam will provide visible wavelength photographs from Jupiter before and during Juno's insertion into Jupiter's polar orbit, will provide first pictures of Jupiter's polar regions, and they expect it to operate on close approach and up to expected 7 orbits, since Grav will be active on Orbit 4 and later from Orbit 9 to Orbit 32-33, when JunoCam cannot be operational due to bandwidth, power, thermal, and other Flight System and mission operations constraints.
Since the JunoCam is not expected to make it for many more orbits due to Jupiter's damaging radiation and magnetic field, those 7 orbits of operation are all anyone is hoping to achieve with it.
answered Oct 10, 2013 at 18:50
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Yes.
The list you cited includes a link to JunoCam, which is planned to return a relatively limited number of images.
It's described as:
A visible light camera/telescope, included in the payload to facilitate education and public outreach. It will operate for only seven orbits around Jupiter because of the planet's damaging radiation and magnetic field.
It appears that photography isn't Juno's primary mission, but as long as it's in the neighborhood ...
