Jupiter probe saved by last-minute software fix as it zips past Venus.
An incredibly heavy interplanetary probe has finally made it to Jupiter after an eight-year journey, using the gravity of Earth and Venus to slingshot itself towards the gas giant. The JUICE mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) hit a snag just before its Venus flyby when a communication blackout threatened to derail the encounter. Luckily, after fixing a software issue that was weakening the signal, mission controllers were able to restore communication with JUICE in time for its gravity assist maneuver around Venus on August 31.
No Time to Wait
The team spotted the problem on July 16 while JUICE was passing over the ESA’s Cebreros ground station in Spain. Panic set in as the deep space antenna couldn’t establish contact with the spacecraft, leading to fears of multiple system failures onboard. Losing contact with the spacecraft is one of the worst-case scenarios, making it difficult to diagnose and fix issues without telemetry.
A Glitch in the System
Almost 20 hours later, a command signal finally reached JUICE, confirming that it was still operational. It turned out that a software glitch had messed up the timing control software, causing JUICE’s signal to weaken to the point of being undetectable from Earth. The team managed to resolve the issue and is now looking into ways to maintain constant reception of JUICE’s signal. Launched on April 14, 2023, JUICE is equipped with instruments to study Jupiter and its moons with oceans. Through planned gravity assists, like the recent Venus flyby, JUICE is on track to reach its destination by 2031.
