Our solar system is host to a variety of harsh environments. From airless worlds to crushing heat, from methane lakes to icy deserts, our spacecraft have to endure extreme conditions in order for us to unlock the secrets of neighboring worlds. NASA has been beefing up Juno -- the next spacecraft to investigate Jupiter -- to withstand the destructive radiation surrounding the Sun's largest planet.
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Jupiter's massive liquid metallic hydrogen interior generates a strong magnetic field, similar to, but on a larger scale than, the Earth's magnetic field which is powered by a liquid iron core. This magnetic field traps charged particles and can accelerate them to nearly the speed of light. Huge, donut-shaped radiation belts surround the gas giant, making it a deadly environment from the standpoint of radiation.
Juno will need to dive headfirst into this hellish environment in order to get a closer look at the planet. The mission will focus on probing Jupiter's interior, understanding the depth of cloud formations, and sampling charged particles in the magnetosphere. These scientific questions will help astronomers better understand how Jupiter formed. As we find Jovian-like planets around all kinds of stars in our galaxy, it seems like a pretty important piece of cosmic history to understand.
Juno will dive deeper into the magnetosphere that Galileo did during its successful mission ending in 2003. Though its orbit will take it over the poles, thus not hanging around too long in the high radiation equatorial region, it still needs to be beefed up and protected to spare sensitive electronics from damage.
Many of the spacecraft's electronic system will be enclosed in a titanium vault 1 cm thick. Titanium protects against high energy particles similar to the way lead does, but is harder and can better withstand the forces of launch. Many of the electronics themselves are rated for the Martian radiation environment, which is not as harsh as Jupiter's, but certainly more than Earth's.
These and other clever measures are being tested in a simulation of the Jupiter radiation environment. Juno is scheduled to launch in August 2011, just over a year away, to arrive at Jupiter in 2016. Though our attention is often focused on the new variety of exoplanet systems around us, the exploration of our own solar system is still just beginning.
Image: Juno, an assembly in progress. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LMSS
Tags: Jupiter, NASA, Solar System, Space Technology
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