Why was the Galileo spacecraft NOT just left floating in space when its mission ended?
A) The last part of the mission was a final probe of Jupiter's atmosphere.
B) It was feared that Galileo might someday crash on Europa and contaminate its oceans with biological organisms from Earth.
C) It was feared that the new Cassini spacecraft might crash into it.
D) Galileo carried a nuclear reactor, and the spacecraft was destroyed to prevent possible radioactive contamination.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Galileo was intentionally directed to crash into Jupiter to avoid any risk of contaminating Europa, one of its moons, with Earth microbes. Europa is considered a prime candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life due to its subsurface ocean, and preventing biological contamination was a priority.

Why Was the Galileo Spacecraft NOT Just Left Floating in Space