NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, went into safe mode during its recent flyby. However, good news is that the probe is now back to normal operations, NASA confirmed.
On April 4, just before its 71st close pass of Jupiter (called perijove), Juno unexpectedly entered safe mode not once, but twice. Safe mode is a built in safety function where spacecraft shut off instruments to protect themselves during technical issues.
NASA scientists believe Jupiter’s intense radiation belts may be the cause. These belts are full of high speed charged particles far more powerful than Earth’s Van Allen belts. They can interfere with spacecraft systems and trigger protective responses.
Juno is equipped with a titanium radiation vault to shield its sensitive electronics. Still, the radiation near Jupiter is so extreme that even this protection sometimes gets tested.
Other NASA missions, like the Hubble Space Telescope and TESS, have also entered safe mode during their missions.
The next close approach to Jupiter will be on May 7 NASA is now reviewing diagnostics to understand the glitch fully. Scientists remain hopeful that Juno will continue its mission without more interruptions.
Since 2016, Juno has sent back spectacular images and discoveries from Jupiter and its moons. From volcanic eruptions on Io to magnetic field data, it has revealed many secrets of the gas giant. This recent glitch is just a small bump in an otherwise groundbreaking journey.