On July2016, the probe Juno finished its journey as it settled into orbit around the planet Jupiter. The cameras of the probe are fine as they seem to produce satisfying photos but there seems to be a problem with its primary Leros 1b engine. The team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued a series of commands last week in preparation for a burn that would result in Juno being settled in its final orbit around the planet but this resulted in the team seeing a pair of helium check valves not working properly through telemetry.
One of the project managers of Juno, Rick Nybakken, stated that the valves took several minutes to open when it should have done so in a few seconds. He added that this issue must first be understood before they move on to the problem of the main engine.
Latest Updates on Space Probe Juno
The operation was originally scheduled to take place on October 19 but Juno will not be able to accomplish this plan until its next flyby near the planet on December 11 because of the problems regarding the engine's performance.
Despite this upsetting news, NASA was fast to put everyone at ease that the result of the schedule change wouldn't impair science. Since the period reduction maneuver will not be carried out and will not cause worry to the mission staff, data from Jupiter will be collected properly by Juno's full array of sensors and instruments as it passes by the planet.
Juno then will not need to depend on the questionable engine anymore when it slips into a tighter orbit because it will be able to use its smaller thrusters for precise movement. Though, if the Juno probe can't accomplish that important burn, scientists will lose out on up-close images and the sort of data that capture imaginations and will motivate further study. If this happens, it will be a disappointment.
