NASA’s faraway Juno spacecraft had its eighth close encounter with Jupiter on Tuesday and has since sent back spectacular imagery and a treasure trove of data of Jupiter’s most captivating feature

NASA’s faraway Juno spacecraft will remain in a highly elongated orbit around Jupiter for the remainder of its mission as engineers opted against performing a burn of the craft’s rocket engine that is considered too risky after a series of valves within the propulsion system had shown a suspect signature.

Instead of spiraling down into a two-week science orbit around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft will have to remain in a highly elliptical orbit for at least one more lap around the gaseous world due to a suspect signature seen in the preparatory steps for the critical main engine burn originally planned for next week.

NASA’s released spectacular photos on Friday showing planet Jupiter like never seen before, providing a treasure trove to scientists to learn more about the formation of Gas Planets and offering a look deep into the Solar System’s past.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft completed the first of 36 close orbital flybys of Jupiter last weekend after swinging around the planet in a highly elliptical orbit following the successful obital insertion maneuver on July 4.

The lucky peanuts were out and all eyes were on the screens at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where the signals from the faraway Juno probe showed the spacecraft slowing down to be captured in orbit around Gas Giant Jupiter.

Over a decade of work and $1.1 billion are riding on NASA’s Juno spacecraft igniting its engine Monday night and placing itself into orbit around the largest planet in the solar system.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has received the final instructions from Planet Earth and is now flying on Autopilot in preparation for Monday night’s critical Jupiter Orbit Insertion Maneuver to mark the conclusion of a 2.8-billion Kilometer odyssey through the Solar System.