NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to study Jupiter’s moon Europa is facing an unexpected problem. The $4.25 billion spacecraft, scheduled for launch in October, is in danger due to transistors showing lower-than-expected radiation resistance. This critical situation leads to great uncertainties about the mission.
NASA Europa mission in radiation danger
In May, NASA discovered that some transistors used on the Europa Clipper had failed at lower radiation doses than expected. This led the mission team to deep concern. The region where Jupiter’s moons are located has one of the harshest radiation environments in the Solar System. Therefore, the durability of the transistors is critical to the success of the mission.
NASA is evaluating how to maximize the lifetime of these transistors on Jupiter. However, launching the vehicle in October before this problem is resolved carries a great risk. The mission team aims to complete its analysis of this problem by the end of July.
NASA’s current plan is to launch Europa Clipper in October and reach the Jupiter system in 2030 with an orbit that will pass by Mars and Earth. However, this launch date could be delayed if the transistors need to be replaced. Launch opportunities in 2025 or 2026 would bring additional delays and costs. Delaying the mission by a year would add several hundred million dollars in additional costs to NASA’s budget.
Jordan Evans, NASA’s project manager, said the problem is keeping him up at night. The radiation resistance of these transistors, known as MOSFETs, is the biggest pre-launch concern. “The uncertainty around these transistors is the issue that concerns me the most right now,” Evans said in June.
NASA has been forced to deal with emerging problems in recent months on such critical missions. The decision whether or not to launch Europa Clipper carries a big risk. If the spacecraft malfunctions after launch when it reaches Jupiter, it will be recorded as a major failure. For this reason, NASA engineers refrain from making a launch decision until they are certain about the reliability of the current system.
NASA’s Europa mission is of great importance for the world of science. But technological challenges such as these show once again how complex and unpredictable space missions can be. The future of NASA’s Europa mission will depend on whether this critical issue can be resolved.
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