Galileo space probe destroyed in Jupiter plunge

A spacecraft that has transmitted information and pictures about Jupiter and its moons for the past eight years took a suicide plunge into the planet’s crushing atmosphere tonight.

The dramatic end to the Galileo mission was planned to avoid any chance of an unwanted impact with moons that may harbour water and life.

Galileo dived into Jupiter’s thick cloud banks at almost 108,000mph.

The last transmission from the probe before it finally burned up is believed to have reached Nasa at 8.42pm Irish time.