Jupiter: NASA's Juno space probe makes closest approach yet to solar system's largest planet

NASA's Juno space probe has made its closest approach yet to Jupiter during the main phase of its planned mission to the gas giant, the US space agency's officials said. Travelling at 208,000 kilometres per hour, Juno swung within approximately 4,200 kilometres of the solar system's largest planet at 8:44pm last night, the closest any spacecraft has passed. Orbited by at least 67 moons Juno first swept close to Jupiter when it entered orbit around the planet early last month after a nearly five-year voyage to help study the solar system's origins. "No other spacecraft has ever orbited Jupiter this closely, or over the poles in this fashion," said Steve Levin, Juno project scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California's Pasadena.