In approving Europa Clipper’s launch, NASA and JPL claim its non-spec transistors will “heal” themselves in Jupiter orbit
Europa in true color, taken by Juno September 2022.
Click for full image.
In making the decision to allow Europa Clipper to be launched on a Falcon Heavy on October 10, 2024, NASA and JPL officials explained that after several months of testing, they believe the improperly hardened transistors installed throughout the orbiter will “heal” themselves while in the low radiation portions of its orbit around Jupiter.
[The testing] showed the transistors in question will, in effect, heal themselves during the 20 days between the high radiation doses the probe will receive during each of 49 close flybys of Europa, all of them deep in Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field and radiation environment.
In addition, onboard heaters can be used as needed to raise the temperature of affected transistors, improving the recovery process. “After extensive testing and analysis of the transistors, the Europa Clipper project and I personally have high confidence we can complete the original mission for exploring Europa as planned,” said Jordan Evans, Europa Clipper project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
I hope this analysis is right, though I fear there is a lot of wishful-thinking involved. It could be however that this testing, in combination with what engineers have learned during Juno’s so-far 64 orbits around Jupiter, might have reassured them.
We however will not know for sure until Europa Clipper is on its way and reaches Jupiter in 2030.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Europa in true color, taken by Juno September 2022.
Click for full image.
In making the decision to allow Europa Clipper to be launched on a Falcon Heavy on October 10, 2024, NASA and JPL officials explained that after several months of testing, they believe the improperly hardened transistors installed throughout the orbiter will “heal” themselves while in the low radiation portions of its orbit around Jupiter.
[The testing] showed the transistors in question will, in effect, heal themselves during the 20 days between the high radiation doses the probe will receive during each of 49 close flybys of Europa, all of them deep in Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field and radiation environment.
In addition, onboard heaters can be used as needed to raise the temperature of affected transistors, improving the recovery process. “After extensive testing and analysis of the transistors, the Europa Clipper project and I personally have high confidence we can complete the original mission for exploring Europa as planned,” said Jordan Evans, Europa Clipper project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
I hope this analysis is right, though I fear there is a lot of wishful-thinking involved. It could be however that this testing, in combination with what engineers have learned during Juno’s so-far 64 orbits around Jupiter, might have reassured them.
We however will not know for sure until Europa Clipper is on its way and reaches Jupiter in 2030.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Very sad.
They can’t even create a good Story and blind us with science, to make themselves look Brilliant.
It needs to read like this:
“JPL Discovers Advanced Methods to Harden Electronics, In Space!”
I read a very good analysis of “annealing” and how it applies to electronics in high radiation environments, and specifically to this case, which was, unfortunately behind a paywall. But basically yes, it’s well known and proven that transistors take damage when exposed to a burst of radiation, and then “heal” themselves afterwards. And apparently, it was testing and analysis around this exact behavior that led to the recognition that these transistors might not be up to spec. The short version is that it was discovered that as produced and certified, they are in spec in terms of initial reaction to a high radiation dose, but may, or may not, heal themselves sufficiently afterwards. It was apparently never expected that they would be sufficiently hardened to operate in the target radiation environment without taking damage, but it was expected that the annealing process would be able to bring them back into spec each time, and that may or may not actually be true. And apparently the details are very esoteric and proprietary, and so while NASA/JPL is now saying that they feel after investigation the transistors will be good enough, the only way non-specialists in the general public are going to know if that’s correct or wishful thinking is to wait and see what happens.
I read about silver being able to heal at small scales.
Some metals grow whiskers IIRC
In college these guys got test papers returned with “Your circuit is on fire!” written on the front.
I AM HAVING REAL DIFFICULTY IN NOT GIVING A SNARKY REPLY SO I THOUGHT i WOULD REPLY IN ALL CAPS
IF THE COMPONENTS WERE NOT SUPPLIED AS RADIATION HARDENED THE ALL THE TIME AND FUNDS WILL BE WASTED
A work-around to lessen radiation?
https://phys.org/news/2024-08-missions-jupiter-moon-europa.amp
For future missions
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-space-cosmic-boron-nitride-nanotube.html
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-national-lab-expertise-space.html