NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Faces Challenges from Radiation-Vulnerable Transistors

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Europa Clipper set to enter Jupiter system in 2030 and make about 50 flybys of Europa.
NASA's Europa Clipper mission faces challenges due to radiation-vulnerable transistors.
Some transistors may fail in high-radiation environment around Jupiter due to lower radiation resistance than expected.
Spacecraft designed to assess potential for life on Europa, an ice-covered moon orbiting Jupiter.
Team evaluating options for maximizing transistors' longevity in Jupiter system.
Tests identified issue in May at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Transistors regulate various functions on the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Faces Challenges from Radiation-Vulnerable Transistors

NASA's Europa Clipper mission, a $5 billion space exploration project scheduled to launch in October, is facing potential challenges due to the vulnerability of some of its transistors to radiation.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft is designed to assess the potential for life on Europa, an ice-covered moon orbiting Jupiter. However, tests have shown that some of the transistors used in the probe may not be able to withstand the intense radiation environment near Jupiter and its moon Europa.

Transistors are essential components of electronic devices that control the flow of electricity. In this case, they regulate various functions on the Europa Clipper spacecraft. However, NASA officials have reported that some transistors may fail in the high-radiation environment around Jupiter due to lower radiation resistance than expected.

The issue was first identified in May during testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The transistors were manufactured by Infineon Technologies.

Europa Clipper is set to enter the Jupiter system in 2030 and will make about 50 flybys of Europa over the course of its mission. However, if some transistors fail, it could impact the spacecraft's ability to function optimally and potentially delay or limit its scientific objectives.

The team is currently evaluating options for maximizing the transistors' longevity in the Jupiter system. A preliminary analysis is expected to be completed by late July.

This development comes as NASA continues to face challenges with spacecraft radiation resistance, including issues with the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars Perseverance Rover. The Europa Clipper mission underscores the importance of addressing this issue in future space missions.


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NASA's $5 billion Europa Clipper mission may not be able to handle Jupiter's radiation

Entertainment Variety Tv Site: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv-site/ Mike Wall Sunday, 14 July 2024 14:36
  • Unique Points
    • The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch in October on a $5 billion mission to assess the potential of Europa, an ice-covered ocean moon of Jupiter, for life.
    • A problem with the spacecraft’s transistors has been discovered, which control the flow of electricity and may not withstand Jupiter’s radiation.
    • Transistor testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has shown that some may fail in the high-radiation environment near Jupiter and Europa due to lower radiation resistance than expected.
  • Accuracy
    • NASA received information in May that similar parts were failing at lower radiation doses than expected.
    • Transistors may not be able to resist the powerful radiation of the Jovian system.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority when stating that 'NASA officials wrote' about the issue with the transistors and the radiation environment near Jupiter. This is not a logical fallacy on its own, but it can be misused to manipulate readers if used inappropriately or excessively.
    • ][NASA officials wrote] 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] Testing data obtained so far indicates some transistors are likely to fail in the high-radiation environment near Jupiter and its moon Europa because the parts are not as radiation-resistant as expected.[
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled by Chips on Spacecraft

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. David W. Friday, 12 July 2024 00:38
  • Unique Points
    • NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft may experience issues with transistors due to radiation around Jupiter.
    • Europa orbits inside the Jovian radiation belt, where conditions are over 50 times more radioactive than those found around Earth.
  • Accuracy
    • NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft may experience issues with transistors due to radiation around Jupiter.
    • The Europa Clipper mission is scheduled to launch in October on a $5 billion mission to assess the potential of Europa for life.
    • Transistors may not be able to resist the powerful radiation of the Jovian system.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

NASA’s flagship mission to Europa has a problem: Vulnerability to radiation

Ars Technica Eric Berger Friday, 12 July 2024 19:30
  • Unique Points
    • The Europa Clipper mission, a $4.25 billion NASA spacecraft due to launch in October, may face delays due to radiation-sensitive transistors.
    • NASA received information in May that similar parts were failing at lower radiation doses than expected.
    • Some of the transistors regulate the flow of energy through the spacecraft and could fail in Jupiter’s harsh radiation environment.
  • Accuracy
    • There is a consensus view that there is a 40-60% chance of launching the spacecraft this fall, but delays could lead to additional costs and longer mission duration.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only mentions the potential failure of transistors and does not mention any efforts to mitigate or solve the issue. It also uses emotional manipulation by stating 'What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty.' multiple times.
    • Five weeks ago today, I got an email that a non-NASA customer had done some testing on these rad-hard parts and found that they were going before (the specifications), at radiation levels significantly lower than what we qualified them to as we did our parts procurement, and others in the industry had as well.
    • What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty associated with the MOSFETs and the residual risk that we will take on with that.
    • These are precisely the kinds of issues that scientists and engineers don’t want to find in the final months before the launch of such a consequential mission. The stakes are incredibly high–imagine making the call to launch Clipper only to have the spacecraft fail six years later upon arrival at Jupiter.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating 'What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty.' and 'These are precisely the kinds of issues that scientists and engineers don’t want to find in the final months before the launch of such a consequential mission. The stakes are incredibly high.' These statements create a sense of urgency and fear, but do not provide any new information or logical reasoning.
    • ]What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty associated with the MOSFETs and the residual risk that we might launch with.[
    • These are precisely the kinds of issues that scientists and engineers don’t want to find in the final months before the launch of such a consequential mission. The stakes are incredibly high.
  • Bias (95%)
    The author expresses uncertainty and concern about the potential failure of transistors on the Europa Clipper spacecraft due to radiation. He quotes NASA officials discussing the issue and its potential impact on the launch date and budget.
    • Five weeks ago today, I got an email that a non-NASA customer had done some testing on these rad-hard parts and found that they were going before (the specifications)
      • It's difficult to do the kind of low-dose rate testing in the timeframes that we have until launch. So we're gathering as much data as we can, including from missions like Juno, to better understand what residual risk we might launch with.
        • What keeps me awake right now is the uncertainty.
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
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