What specific temperature was reached by the atmosphere sampled by Galileo before its electronics failed?
Answer
Nearly 150 degrees Celsius.
As the Galileo probe plunged deeper into Jupiter's atmosphere, the increasing thermal stress acted as the ultimate limiting factor for its data transmission capability. The spacecraft was able to survive and transmit data until the extreme conditions overwhelmed its protective measures and internal systems. The final measurements transmitted included temperature profiles showing the heat steadily rising, ultimately reaching temperatures near 150 degrees Celsius before the combination of heat and crushing pressure caused the probe to disintegrate beyond recovery.
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