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Today in History: Galileo spacecraft reaches Jupiter after six years

By Drooid · Dec 7, 2025, 10:31 AM UTC · How we work

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On December 7, 1995, the Galileo spacecraft reached Jupiter, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. Launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis on October 18, 1989, Galileo became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet, providing invaluable data about Jupiter and its moons after a journey of over six years.

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Story summary

On December 7, 1995, the Galileo spacecraft reached Jupiter, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. Launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis on October 18, 1989, Galileo became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet, providing invaluable data about Jupiter and its moons after a journey of over six years.