Juno Probe Google Doodle Celebrates NASA Spacecraft Reaching Jupiter

Impact

Juno, NASA's space probe that launched nearly five years — and 540 million miles — ago, has finally reached the enormous gas planet that is Jupiter. Google celebrated the NASA spacecraft's successful (and tricky) attempt to enter Jupiter's orbit with an adorable 8-bit Google Doodle on its homepage Tuesday morning. 

The graphic features six NASA employees jumping up and down in celebration while a hovering Juno transmits celebratory emojis from the elusive planet. The search engine described NASA's historic operation as an "incredible moment" in a blog post.

"In satellite terms, Juno is a warrior," Google wrote. "NASA scientists equipped Juno with titanium shields to withstand pummeling rocks, powerful radiation and freezing temperatures. Its armor will keep it safe and working properly over its year-long polar orbit collecting data about Jupiter."

NASA has been documenting Juno's progress in its orbiting attempts through a Twitter feed dedicated to the spacecraft, as well as with its own Twitter handle on Monday night. Videos show the exact moment Juno began orbiting and the mission's jubilant team applauding from their stations. 

The spacecraft itself "offered" a few words to commemorate the moment:

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