PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- NASA's aging Galileo spacecraft deliberately plunged into Jupiter's turbulent atmosphere Sunday, bringing a fiery conclusion to a 14-year, $1.5 billion exploration of the solar system's largest planet and its moons.

The unmanned spacecraft, traveling at nearly 108,000 mph, was torn apart and vaporized by the heat and friction of its fall through the clouds after it dove into the atmosphere at 2:57 p.m. EDT as planned.

Godspeed, lil' doodle.