In 1610, Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope at Jupiter and discovered four of its moons, starting our fascination with the largest planet in our solar system.

Centuries later, in 1973, Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to reach Jupiter. It gave us the first close-up views of the planet and its many moons.

The Galileo spacecraft followed in the footsteps of Pioneer 10. Its many accomplishments included the first close flyby of an asteroid, the first discovery of an asteroid's moon, the observation of a comet colliding with Jupiter, evidence of subsurface water on Jupiter's moon Europa, and the first spacecraft to measure Jupiter's atmosphere with the help of a descent probe.

Let's take a closer look at the legacy of the Galileo spacecraft and its exploration milestones.