The inverse square law applies to sound and electrostatics, and NASA is interested in the law and its effects on light energy and gravity. Within the engineering design process for the Juno mission (see the “Why with Nye” video accompanying this lesson), engineers asked some fundamental questions: How much power would be required to operate Juno’s systems, and could a solar array (plus two lithium-ion batteries supplying power when the Sun is eclipsed by Jupiter itself) provide the long-term power needed throughout Juno’s mission life? Knowing Jupiter’s distance from the Sun and applying the inverse square law, engineers theorized that Juno’s array would produce approximately 480 Watts while in an elliptical orbit around Jupiter. And they were right!
