>>12025440Several issues come to mind:
Firstly, the Delta V requirement to slow a probe down into Jupiter's atmosphere would be severe. You have to get a probe moving at ludicrous speeds to even get out to Jupiter. If something moving that fast hits even the upper atmosphere it's going to be generating some INTENSE heat, so aerobraking is out of the question unless you have some serious heat shielding. Your other option is to strap a very large retrorocket to a very small probe, which is going to be very expensive. You are looking at either a Falcon Heavy or an Atlas V in max delta V configuration to get this thing to Jupiter. Even then you might need to use gravity assists or other orbital mechanics trickery to make this work.
Secondly, communication is a serious issue. In order to receive and send data from Jupiter you need a fairly big antenna to begin with. The only realistic option is to strap the small atmospheric probe to a much larger orbital probe that can act as a relay between the atmo probe and Earth. Because Jupiter's radiation environment is HARSH, orbital probes around Jupiter tend to use elliptical polar orbits which limits the time you can send and receive signals. The atmo probe in this scenario is only sending and receiving data packets for a couple of minutes every few days; which means you have zero control and zero response if something goes wrong.
Basically, it's technically possible to get a very small probe into Jupiter's upper atmosphere, but it would be hideously expensive, extremely prone to failures, and you wouldn't be gathering much science beyond what an orbital probe can already do. It would be a massive waste of money for something of limited value. Now if it was possible to get a probe deep into Jupiter's atmosphere, like down to the liquid layers, without it being crushed or vaporized, and it could still send signals back somehow, that might be worth it.
But until we have that tech an atmospheric Jupiter probe isn't likely.
