Why is Jupiter important to NASA?

Jupiter is a planet of this solar system.

We don't know every thing there is to know about it.

So know we have a chance to learn more about it.

And recall, it was 1610 when Galileo first turned his telescope on it. A mere 406 years ago.

We know things that no one knew before the start of the space age in the 1950s.

NASA just not send the probe to jupiter just to take a few pictures.They send it to get more information about it because it was never seen very perfectly by Galileo spacecraft or by Hubble Space Telescope.

not only pictures but it will also map the planet's gravity and magnetic fields in order to learn about the interior makeup.

It's not going to take a few pictures, it's studying the magnetic field of the gas giant to learn about its internal arrangement. Do you even know how much of your tax dollars go to NASA? Work it out and be shocked. You get an awful lot of science for the ridiculously small amount you pay. The spin offs have greatly benefitted your life. That's not to mention the fact that those tax dollars are boosting your whole economy they're not being blasted off into space.

I've heard the usual argument "we should fix the problems on Earth before exploring anywhere else". But if we did that we'd never explore space. We'd never improve our own situation if we never look beyond it. We'd die as a species on this planet and never achieve anything worth while.

It's called "exploration". It's the act of finding out new information and discovering new things. Without it the human race would still be wandering around Africa and sleeping on the ground because we wouldn't have the ability to even look for a cave to live in.

It may hold clues to the origin of the universe, and our own planet. I agree that there are probably greater priorities, but when the government spends tax dollars it pays workers in industry and benefits the economy.