NASA clears $5 billion Jupiter mission for launch after review of suspect transistors

NASA clears $5 billion Jupiter mission for launch after review of suspect transistors

Benjamin Hughes

After an exhaustive review of suspect transistors in NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, NASA managers have cleared the probe for launch next month as planned on a $5.2 billion mission to find out if a suspected sub-surface ocean on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is a habitable environment.

The transistor issue cropped up in May, raising fears the scope of the Clipper’s mission might have to be reduced or the flight delayed for costly repairs.

But the review showed the transistors in question will, in effect, heal themselves during the 20 days between the high radiation doses the probe will receive during each of 49 close flybys of Europa, all of them deep in Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field and radiation environment.

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An artist’s impression of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft making a close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Equipped with state-of-the-art instrument, the probe will attempt to determine if a vast sub-surface ocean below Europa’s ice crust might provide a habitable environment for life.

NASA


In addition, onboard heaters can be used as needed to raise the temperature of affected transistors, improving the recovery process.

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William Harwood

Bill Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News.

Source: cbsnews.com