NASA’s Europa Clipper, pictured in this illustration updated in December 2020, will swoop around Jupiter in an elliptical orbit, approaching the moon Europa on each flyby to collect data. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)of Europe The Clipper mission was focused on solving the transistor radiation problem. Jupiter To explore the habitability of Europa.
The mission faces challenges with radiation-hardened transistors, which have proven to be less resistant to Jupiter’s intense radiation. Tests being carried out at various NASA centers aim to address these issues.
Launch Gate NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission The spacecraft was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May, where the team High gain antenna installed.
Engineers on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission are continuing extensive testing of the transistors that control the flow of electricity on the spacecraft. The particular version used on Europa Clipper is radiation-hardened and designed to withstand 100 to 300 kilorads (krad) (a “rad” is a unit of measurement for an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation).
However, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPLThe space station in Southern California, which manages the mission, is evaluating test data that shows some transistors could be affected by significantly lower radiation levels under certain conditions, and they are concerned that some of these components may not be able to withstand the radiation of the Jovian system, the most radioactive environment in the solar system.
Radiation challenges and ongoing analysis
Testing is also being conducted at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. APL designed the spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA Goddard.
The transistor issue was discovered in May when the mission team received reports that similar parts were failing at lower than expected radiation doses. An industry alert was issued in June 2024 to inform users of the issue. The manufacturer is working with the mission team to support ongoing radiation testing and analysis efforts to better understand the risks of using these parts on the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
Electronics Durability and Solutions
Test data obtained so far suggests that some of the transistors are likely to fail in the high radiation environment near Jupiter and its moon Europa because the components are not as radiation tolerant as expected. Teams are working to determine how many transistors are susceptible and how they will perform in flight. NASA is evaluating options to maximize the transistors’ lifetime in the Jovian system. A preliminary analysis is expected to be completed in late July.
Radiation-hardened electronics are used throughout the industry to protect spacecraft from damaging radiation that can occur in space. The Jupiter system is particularly harmful to spacecraft because its enormous magnetic field, 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s, captures charged particles and accelerates them to extremely high energies, showering Europa and the other inner moons with intense radiation. The problem that may be affecting Europa Clipper’s transistors is a phenomenon the industry was unaware of, and appears to indicate an uncovering of a new gap in industry-standard radiation qualification of transistor wafer lots.
Mission objectives and future prospects
The Europa Clipper launch period begins on October 10 and is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in 2030, conducting scientific investigations to explore Europa’s habitability while making multiple passes by the moon.
The total cost of the Europa Clipper mission is estimated to be approximately $5 billion, making it one of the most expensive planetary science missions. This budget includes the development, launch, and operation of the spacecraft for the duration of the planned mission.
