Juno probe failed and NASA lost over 200 photos of Jupiter

NASA suffered more than 200 casualties jupiter pictures later Juno probe error, on January 22. According to the space agency, the problem stems from an abnormal increase in the temperature of the orbiter’s camera, causing it to fail to acquire all the images planned during its final flight around the gas giant.

In total, 214 photos were lost, and only 44 were captured in good quality. JunoCam return to normal operation. This is the second time the Jupiter orbiter has suffered an instrument malfunction after a similar problem last December 14.

Last year, the reason was the result of a memory issue that also put the probe into safe mode and delayed the transmission of data to Earth, which took 36 minutes. However, the most recent case lasted longer, at 23 hours.

NASA has released a statement highlighting that the mission team is assessing what happened on the last two flights at an altitude of more than 120 kilometers, the 47th and 48th journeys around the planet. largest planet in solar system — before the next passage scheduled for March 1.

Juno mission

A Juno probe It was launched in 2011 and reached Jupiter in 2016 to study the dense clouds there. It also aims to provide more details about the origin and evolution of the planet, our Solar System as a whole, and even other distant giant worlds.

The original idea was to launch the solar-powered orbiter without an onboard camera, as the instrument was not essential for the mission’s scientific objectives. However, NASA decided to deploy JunoCam to further engage the public through colorful and fascinating glimpses of our neighboring planet.

The bet paid off, with more than 375 gigabytes of data collected by the spacecraft during its journey and even serving important scientific research. Key highlights achieved include a better understanding of the planet’s internal structure and magnetic field, analysis of the amount of water and ammonia in the atmosphere, observation of auroras, and recording of Jupiter’s moons.

It is worth noting that the camera is not designed to last that long, but to withstand the first 7 flights. The main mission has already ended in mid-2021, but the Juno spacecraft is expected to continue operating until 2025.