What was the primary reason for intentionally crashing the Galileo probe into Jupiter's atmosphere?
Answer
Fulfilling planetary protection guidelines to prevent contamination of potentially habitable moons.
The Galileo probe was intentionally sent into Jupiter's atmosphere as a precautionary measure to ensure the craft, having interacted closely with the Jovian system, would not inadvertently crash onto a moon like Europa or Ganymede and potentially introduce terrestrial microbes.
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