NASA's Juno probe orbiting Jupiter may have come to an end, but no one can confirm

NASA’s Juno spacecraft, launched in 2011 and orbiting Jupiter since 2016, may have ceased operations, but the agency has not confirmed its status. Originally planned as a 20-month mission, Juno has been extended multiple times, most recently through September 2025, to study Jupiter’s interior, magnetosphere, rings, and moons such as Ganymede, Europa, and Io. The probe has provided valuable data on the planet’s magnetic and gravitational fields and its faint ring system, contributing to preparations for upcoming missions like the Europa Clipper, which launched in October 2024 and will arrive at Jupiter in 2030. Due to a U.S. government shutdown, NASA is unable to confirm whether Juno remains operational. The mission is not classified as an excepted activity, meaning it lacks funding and priority during the shutdown. With Juno’s future uncertain and no new data expected until Europa Clipper’s arrival, a significant gap in Jupiter system observations may occur. NASA awaits government funding decisions to clarify Juno’s status.