Starting a five-year-long journey, Juno, NASA's solar-powered robotic spacecraft, left for Jupiter on Friday (Aug. 5).

At 12:25 p.m. EDT (1625 GMT), Juno launched an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The robotic probe should settle in the orbit of the largest planet in the solar system in July, 2016, after travelling 1,740 million miles.

After settling at Jupiter's orbit, Juno will study the planet for one year to learn how and when it existed. The study will help to understand the planet formation processes as well as the evolution of the solar system, researchers said.

The spacecraft, the first ever solar-powered craft to travel such a long distance, weighs about 8,000 pounds (3,267 kilograms). It will orbit around Jupiter's poles 33 times, each orbit lasting 11 days and examine it with its collection of eight science instruments.

"It is by far the oldest planet, contains more material than all the other planets, asteroids and comets combined, and carries deep inside it the story of not only the solar system but of us. Juno is going there as our emissary - to interpret what Jupiter has to say," said Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.

Jupiter has always been a mysterious giant in the solar system for scientists. They are still not sure whether the gas giant has any solid core of heavy elements, or it's just made of gas only.

Apart from this, the $1.1 billion Juno mission will also investigate and map its magnetic and gravitational fields. It will take photos of Jupiter in visible, ultraviolet and infrared light.

Three LEGO figurines

Juno is also carrying three LEGO figurines that represent the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and the 17th century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, also known as the "father of modern astronomy." While the LEGO Juno holds a magnifying glass that signifies "her search for the truth", her husband Jupiter holds a lightning bolt.

"We hope that that [these LEGO Minifigures] will increase awareness of children about the space program and get them interested. This will also help them understand both the mythological studies that went on... and also the contributions that Galileo made," Bolton said.

Juno Emerges
Preparation for launch of NASA's Juno mission, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is rolled to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. Patrick H. Corkery/United Laun
Rocket shoots skyward
Rocket shoots skyward NASA/Bill IngallsAn
Atlas V Rocket Launches with Juno Spacecraft
Atlas V rocket blasts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at 12:25 p.m. EDT with the Juno spacecraft for NASA. The launch of the Juno mission marks the second of five NASA missions scheduled to launch this year on ULA vehicles within a six month timeframe. Juno will improve our understanding of our solar system’s beginnings by revealing the origin and evolution of Jupiter. After a five-year journey, Juno will spend a year and 33 orbits studying many scientific aspects of the largest planet in our solar system. Pat Corkery/United Launch Alli
An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida
An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, August 5, 2011. The Juno spacecraft will make a five-year, 400-million-mile voyage to Jupiter, orbit the planet, investigate its origin and evolution with eight instruments to probe its internal structure and gravity field, measure water and ammonia in its atmosphere, map its powerful magnetic field and observe its intense auroras. REUTERS/Bill Ingalls/NASA
An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida
An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, August 5, 2011. The Juno spacecraft will make a five-year, 400-million-mile voyage to Jupiter, orbit the planet, investigate its origin and evolution with eight instruments to probe its internal structure and gravity field, measure water and ammonia in its atmosphere, map its powerful magnetic field and observe its intense auroras. REUTERS/Bill Ingalls/NASA
LEGO figurines representing the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno and Galileo Galilei are shown aboard the Juno spacecraft
LEGO figurines representing the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno and Galileo Galilei are shown aboard the Juno spacecraft in this undated handout released by NASA August 3, 2011. NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft will carry the 1.5-inch figurines to Jupiter when the spacecraft launches August 5. The inclusion of the three mini-statues, or figurines, is part of a joint outreach and educational program developed as part of the partnership between NASA and the LEGO Group to inspire children to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics. REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/KSC/H
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