Europa Clipper

[Flyaway]

Europa Clipper has now arrived at KSC.

 

[Flyaway]

NASA’s Europa Clipper Unpacks in Florida

 

[Flyaway]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1rCCrW9NU

How was NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft packed and shipped from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to Kennedy Space Center in Florida? The mission’s lead engineer Kobie Boykins explains how the team made sure the 7,000-pound spacecraft would be safe while it traveled first on a semitruck then flew to Florida on a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The Europa Clipper team also shipped enough ground support equipment to fill 14 semitrailers.

 

[Flyaway]

See highlighted section that an issue has been discovered with the electronics of Europa Clipper.

https://www.science.org/content/article/vulnerable-transistors-threaten-upend-europa-clipper-mission#:~:text=The%20problem%20stems%20from%20a,to%20parts%20of%20the%20spacecraft

This is just unbelievable behaviour in the case of this company. It was brought to NASA’s attention at a conference by colleagues working on classified payloads that had been noticing higher failure rates from these components on national security payloads.

From that article:

The company [Infineon] has already corrected the mistake, but Infineon did not report the flaw [i.e. failure of some transistors to meet radiation-hardness standards] to NASA because the company did not know what the transistors would be used for, Fitzpatrick said.

 

[FighterJock]

So what will happen to Europa Clipper now?

 

[Atomic Coyote]

See highlighted section that an issue has been discovered with the electronics of Europa Clipper.

https://www.science.org/content/article/vulnerable-transistors-threaten-upend-europa-clipper-mission#:~:text=The%20problem%20stems%20from%20a,to%20parts%20of%20the%20spacecraft

This is just unbelievable behaviour in the case of this company. It was brought to NASA’s attention at a conference by colleagues working on classified payloads that had been noticing higher failure rates from these components on national security payloads.

From that article:

"Certainly the organization that develops space probes would never care about radiation hardening!"

Regarding what happens to the probe, I would assume it would be delayed somewhat. I don't know the next launch window for the gravity assists on the trajectory offhand, so I don't know if this would be a ~1 year delay or longer.

 

[Grey Havoc]

NASA's $5 billion Europa Clipper mission may not be able to handle Jupiter's radiation

Europa Clipper's transistors aren't as radiation resistant as expected.

www.space.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/science/europa-clipper-nasa-radiation.html

 

[Flyaway]

Ars article on the issue and covering the possible alternative launch dates and their positives and negatives.

NASA’s flagship mission to Europa has a problem: Vulnerability to radiation

"What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty."

arstechnica.com

 

[Flyaway]

Despite those challenges, Nicky Fox, NASA associate administrator for science, said she remains optimistic about the prospects of launching the mission on schedule. “We’re going to continue to charge towards the launch as long as we can, look at all of the options and make a decision,” she said in an interview after a talk at the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) 45th Scientific Assembly here July 16.

She added there is no deadline short of the launch period itself for deciding to proceed with the launch. “We will keep marching towards that Oct. 10 launch window, and at some point that decision will be made for us.”

NASA science head optimistic Europa Clipper launches on schedule

The head of NASA science is optimistic the Europa Clipper mission will launch in October despite concerns about the spacecraft’s electronics and its rocket.

spacenews.com

 

[FighterJock]

Let's wait and see what happens Flyaway if Europa Clipper launches on Schedule, I for one will wait and see if it does.