NASA remains optimistic that the Europa Clipper mission will proceed as scheduled in October

NASA's head of science remains optimistic about the Europa Clipper mission launching on schedule in October, despite concerns about the spacecraft's electronics and the launch vehicle. The $5 billion mission is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy during a three-week window starting on October 10th. The spacecraft's mission is to orbit Jupiter by 2030 and make numerous close approaches to Europa, a moon with a potentially habitable subsurface ocean.

Recently, NASA announced that the mission was studying transistors on the spacecraft, discovering that they might not have the required level of radiation tolerance for the mission due to the intense radiation around Jupiter and Europa. The agency is currently evaluating options to maximize the transistors' longevity in the Jupiter system and is expected to complete a preliminary analysis in late July. Potential options include transistor replacements, but the details have not been disclosed.

Furthermore, complications arise from an anomaly that occurred during a Falcon 9 launch, where the vehicle's upper-stage engine malfunctioned, affecting the Falcon Heavy rocket as well. SpaceX has grounded the rocket until the failure investigation is complete.

Despite these challenges, Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator for science, remains optimistic about staying on schedule. She expressed her confidence during an interview at the Committee on Space Research meeting, stating that the team is dedicated and motivated to overcome these obstacles.

In addition to the Europa Clipper mission, Fox addressed the progress of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program during the COSPAR meeting. NASA has been seeking new options to carry out the mission more cost-effectively and efficiently. The agency awarded study contracts to seven companies in June to investigate alternatives. Fox highlighted that while there are challenges, a significant portion of the mission involving the collection of samples by the Perseverance rover has already been completed successfully.

Fox emphasized the importance of focusing on the remaining aspects of the mission, particularly the efforts to deliver the collected samples back to Earth. She welcomed innovative and out-of-the-box thinking as well as revisiting simpler solutions. Specific plans and details of the MSR program are not yet disclosed, but potential solutions involve adapting the skycrane landing system demonstrated in previous rover missions to reduce the mass, cost, and complexity of the sample retrieval process.

Overall, despite facing challenges with both the Europa Clipper mission and the Mars Sample Return program, NASA remains determined and motivated to overcome obstacles and succeed in their scientific endeavors.