Juno spacecraft recovering its memory after mind-blowing Jupiter flyby, NASA says - Space.com

NASA's Juno probe is continuing to retrieve its representation astatine Jupiter aft a information disruption interrupted communications betwixt the spacecraft and its operators connected Earth pursuing a flyby of the elephantine satellite successful December. 

The Juno spacecraft's latest flyby of Jupiter, its 47th adjacent walk of the planet, was completed connected Dec. 14. But arsenic its operators astatine NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were receiving subject information from the flyby they recovered they could nary longer straight entree the spacecraft's memory.

The squad successfully rebooted Juno's machine and connected Dec. 17 they placed the spacecraft into "safe mode" with lone indispensable systems operating arsenic a precaution. As of a Dec. 22 NASA update (opens successful caller tab), steps taken by the squad to retrieve Juno's subject information had been proceeding positively. Juno's operators are present successfully downlinking the flyby data.

"The subject information from the solar-powered spacecraft's astir caller flyby of Jupiter and its satellite Io appears to beryllium intact," NASA wrote successful the update.

Related: The 10 astir monolithic mysteries of Jupiter

The interruption is presently believed to person been caused erstwhile Juno flew done the aggravated radiation of a information of Jupiter's magnetosphere. There is nary denotation that the radiation spike has damaged information from its adjacent attack to Jupiter oregon its flyby of the volcanic Jupiter satellite Io. 

The remaining information from Juno's latest flyby is expected to beryllium beamed backmost to Earth the adjacent fewer days astatine which constituent operators tin measure if it has been affected by the disruption.

Juno near Earth successful August 2011, traveling 1.7 cardinal miles and entering orbit astir the state elephantine satellite 5 years aboriginal connected July 4, 2016. Becoming the archetypal spacecraft to spot done Jupiter's dense clouds, Juno’s purpose was to reply questions astir Jupiter’s creation and origins.

Related: NASA's Juno spacecraft snaps its astir elaborate presumption of icy satellite Europa

Juno takes 53 Earth days to orbit Jupiter, with its superior ngo of Juno calling for 35 orbit, during which it collected 3 terabits of technological information and immoderate incredible images of Jupiter and its moons. Because Jupiter is thought to beryllium the star system's oldest world, learning much astir it could uncover accusation astir the enactment of the star strategy itself. 

This information changed galore of the ideas planetary scientists had astir Jupiter’s ambiance and interior by revealing an atmospheric upwind furniture stretching acold beyond its h2o clouds arsenic good arsenic a heavy interior with a dilute dense constituent core.

The spacecraft’s superior ngo ended successful July and the spacecraft is expected to proceed its extended subject operations until astatine slightest 2025 according to the Planetary Society (opens successful caller tab).

The spacecraft was expected to exit harmless mode this week and volition marque its adjacent flyby of Jupiter connected Jan. 22, 2023.

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