Space travel - Starting towards Jupiter's moon: Are the probe components vulnerable?
The originally planned start of NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa may be delayed due to technical difficulties, according to the US space agency NASA. Certain electronic components may not be able to withstand the intense radiation at Jupiter, NASA stated. After completing tests with the transistors, likely by the end of the month, more information will be provided.
Jupiter's radiation belt has such strong radiation that unprotected electronic components are quickly damaged. Jupiter is the planet with the strongest radiation belt in our solar system. Its magnetic field is about 20 times stronger than that of Earth.
The spacecraft was supposed to depart in October for Jupiter and arrive in 2030. It will investigate whether conditions for life may exist on Jupiter's moon Europa during several flybys.
- NASA is currently facing challenges with the Sonde, or electronic components, of the Europa Clipper, as they may not be able to endure the intense radiation encountered during space travel to Jupiter.
- Despite the setbacks, the United States of America's space agency, NASA, is optimistic and plans to complete tests with the transistors by the end of this month, providing more details about the situation.
- Although Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, has drawn considerable interest from the International space community due to its potential for harboring life, the journey to Jupiter's radiation belt is not without risks for spacecraft components.
- In fact, Europe, specifically, has also shown interest in this mission, as the discovery of extraterrestrial life would be a significant breakthrough for the field of science.
- NASA's Europa Clipper, initially scheduled for launch on a Monday in October, is now facing delayed takeoff due to the resilience needed from its components in Jupiter's harsh space environment, which is colloquially referred to as Jupitermond.
