NASA’s Juno spacecraft, renowned for exploring Jupiter’s mysteries, faced an unexpected hiccup during its 71st close approach to the gas giant on April 4. Twice in one day, the solar-powered spacecraft entered a precautionary “safe mode,” suspending nonessential operations to focus on core functions like communication and power management.
The first incident occurred at 5:17 a.m. EDT, just an hour before Juno’s closest approach to Jupiter—an event known as “perijove.” It entered safe mode again 45 minutes after passing by. Following these events, the spacecraft executed its safety protocols precisely, rebooting its computer, shutting down nonessential systems, and realigning its antenna to ensure communication with Earth.
Though surprising, this isn’t the first time Juno has encountered such challenges. Since arriving at Jupiter in July 2016, the spacecraft has activated safe mode on four occasions—including this week’s episode and past events in 2016 and 2022. Each time, Juno recovered flawlessly, living up to its reputation as a resilient pioneer.
NASA’s Juno Spacecraft recorded the sound of Jupiter’s moon
Initial analysis suggests the incidents were triggered as the spacecraft traversed Jupiter’s radiation belts, infamous for their hostile environment. Juno is equipped with a titanium radiation vault to shield its sensitive electronics from these high-energy particles. Still, the belts remain one of the harshest regions in the solar system.
The Juno team quickly resumed high-rate data transmissions with the spacecraft and is now conducting diagnostics to understand the anomaly. In the coming days, mission engineers will work to retrieve scientific and engineering data collected before and after the safe-mode events.
Looking ahead, Juno’s next perijove is slated for May 7. This upcoming journey will also feature a flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io, passing at a distance of roughly 89,000 kilometers (about 55,300 miles). As the spacecraft continues its journey, its insights bring us closer to unraveling the secrets of the massive gas giant and its moons.
Source: Tech Explorist