Fifteen years ago today — June 27, 1996 — the Galileo space probe made its first flyby of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon.
(Single-filter image of Ganymede, taken 06/26/96. NASA image.)
The Galileo mission began in October of 1989 with its launch from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, as recalled in our space history item. On its June 1996 flyby, the orbiter cruised past Ganymede at an altitude of only about 835 km (519 mi).
The Ganymede flyby timeline includes details about observations the spacecraft made before, during, and after its flyby. You can also visit the Galileo legacy site for more information on the mission.
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