July 12, 2024
NASA's $5 billion Europa Clipper mission may not be able to
Europa Clipper's transistors aren't as radiation resistant as expected. A highly anticipated NASA astrobiology mission is troubleshooting a serious issue just months before its planned liftoff.
The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch this October atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The robotic explorer will embark upon a $5 billion mission to assess the potential of Europa, an ice-covered ocean moon of Jupiter, to support life as we know it. "The issue with the transistors came to light in May when the mission team was advised that similar parts were failing at lower radiation doses than expected," NASA officials wrote in an update on Thursday (July 11). Photo credit: This artist's concept shows a simulated view from the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California
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