NASA Jupiter Probe Recovers From Earth Flyby Glitch

摘要

All systems are go again for a NASA probe on its way to Jupiter. NASA's Juno spacecraft exited a protective "safe mode" Oct. 11 and is operating normally as it streaks toward a July 2016 rendezvous with the solar system's largest planet, mission officials said. Juno went into safe mode Oct. 9, just 10 minutes after zooming within 558 kilometers of Earth during a flyby designed to boost the spacecraft's speed from 126,000 to 140,000 kilometers per hour. Spacecraft enter safe mode when they encounter an unexpected or anomalous condition. In this case, Juno turned off its instruments and some noncritical components, then pointed its huge solar arrays toward the sun to ensure a steady stream of nower. officials said.