NASA's Galileo Ends 14-Year Jupiter Mission in 2003

On Sept. 21, 2003, NASA's Galileo spacecraft ended its mission by intentionally plunging into Jupiter after 14 years of exploration. Launched in 1989, Galileo was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter and send a probe into its atmosphere. It discovered evidence of subsurface oceans on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.