Juno To Arrive Jupiter Tonight: NASA

Most of the Americans are out today to celebrate the 4th of July, but a group of scientists are busy at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California with excitement to listen several, regular tones, which may not rival the national anthem.

The tones heard inside the small, glass conference room tells whether the spacecraft has successfully been pulled into orbit around Jupiter under the Juno mission.

Principal investigator for the mission with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, Scott Bolton, tweeted his excitement saying, “Oh my God, we’re going in!”

The entire team to keep a dedicated eye on their computer monitor as Juno hits its brakes. It would be a spectacular moment as the main engine will collect fire for 35 minutes starting at 8:18 p.m. PDT (11:18 p.m. ET).

Following this moment the spacecraft will be slowed down by about 1.2.12 miles per hour and Juno will be pulled out into the orbit.

At 9:30 p.m. PT (12:30 a.m. ET Tuesday) Juno will be sending back tones to indicate successful completion of the engine fire.

For about five years Juno has been arriving toward the Red Planet. It looks like a flying windmill.

In its over 20 months of live Juno will be circling the planet 37 times. It will also dive down to about 2,600 miles above its dense clouds.