NASA Evaluates Electrical Components for Europa Clipper Mission

NASA Evaluates Electrical Components for Europa Clipper Mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 12, 2024

Launch preparations for NASA's Europa Clipper mission are moving forward. The spacecraft, which arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May, recently had its high-gain antenna installed.

"Engineers with NASA's Europa Clipper mission continue to conduct extensive testing of transistors that help control the flow of electricity on the spacecraft." This follows concerns that these components might not withstand Jupiter's intense radiation environment, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.

Additional tests are being conducted at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. APL designed the spacecraft in collaboration with JPL and NASA Goddard.

"NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission, began the tests after learning that some of these parts may not withstand the radiation of the Jupiter system, which is the most intense radiation environment in the solar system."

The transistor issue emerged in May when it was discovered that similar parts failed under lower radiation doses than expected. An industry alert was issued in June 2024 to inform users of the potential risk. The manufacturer is collaborating with NASA to conduct ongoing radiation tests and analyses to understand the risks of using these transistors on the Europa Clipper.

Preliminary testing indicates that some transistors may fail in the high-radiation environment near Jupiter and its moon Europa due to insufficient radiation resistance. NASA is assessing how many transistors are at risk and their performance during the mission. Options to extend the transistors' lifespan in the Jupiter system are being evaluated, with a preliminary analysis expected by late July.

Radiation-hardened electronics are crucial for protecting spacecraft from space radiation damage. Jupiter's powerful magnetic field-20,000 times stronger than Earth's-accelerates charged particles to high energies, creating intense radiation. The transistor issue appears to be a newly identified gap in the industry's standard radiation qualification process.

The Europa Clipper's launch window opens on Oct. 10, with arrival at Jupiter expected in 2030. The mission aims to conduct detailed investigations into Europa's potential habitability through multiple flybys of the moon.