QUESTION: I am curious if there are any plans to launch multiple independent miniature probes from Jupiter's orbit into the Red Spot in hopes of mapping the storm's structure and learning more about it. ANSWER from Reta Beebe: There is a study group, the Outer Planets Working Group, that advises administrators at NASA headquarters concerning missions they should consider and obstacles that would prevent easy execution of these missions. This group ranks multiple probes into Jupiter's atmosphere as the most important future mission to Jupiter. However, here is a question that is more basic than determining the nature of the Red Spot. This question is what drives the east-west winds and how is heat transferred in the atmosphere. Multiple probes at different latitudes are needed. These probe should be able to measure temperature, pressure and chemical composition at different depths in the atmosphere. The size of the Galileo probe was determined by the size of the mass spectrometer-- the instrument that determines the chemical composition (how much water, helium, H2S, etc. is present.) A PROBLEM THAT MUST BE SOLVED BEFORE WE CAN PLAN MISSIONS LIKE THE ONE YOU ASKED ABOUT AND THE ONES THAT WE WANT IS THAT WE OR YOU MUST DEVELOP A MUCH LESS MASSIVE SPECTROMETER