A lot of it will depend on what's available at the time. JPL is a great place to work. Most of the people who work here are really dedicated. It's not just a job.
The reason we're going so close is to put Galileo on a ballistic trajectory for impact into Jupiter.
We're not totally surprised, because Galileo has already outlived expectations and we knew that it might encounter additional difficulties from the high-radiation environment on this flyby.
It appears that the tape recorder has taken a hit from the intense radiation Galileo passed through. Our efforts to restore the tape recorder may continue for a few weeks.
Ultimately, if we kept trying to fly the mission, we would use up all our propellant. And personally, I like the impact idea. I like the definitive conclusion.
