NASA may lose sight of Jupiter mission
A space craft exploring Jupiter and its moons may be going blind as it embarks on the final stage of its mission.
Galileo, now making a close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Callisto, has been experiencing problems with its camera system.
The US space agency team operating the spacecraft is trying to capture as many images as possible.
Dr Eilene Theilig, Galileo project manager at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said: ‘‘We are not totally surprised, because we knew all along that Galileo might encounter difficulties from passing close to Jupiter’s radiation belts.
‘‘We are attempting to get a better understanding of the problem and to do what we can to minimise the loss of images.’’
On Friday, Galileo was due to fly over Callisto at an altitude of just 76 miles.
Even if the camera fails, the spacecraft will have more than fulfilled its mission, which was originally to have ended in 1997, say space scientists.
After three more encounters with Jupiter’s moon Io and the small inner moon Amalthea, Galileo’s mission will end in dramatic style.
In 2003, the spacecraft is due to plunge into Jupiter’s dense atmosphere, descending through the thick clouds until the pressure crushes it out of existence.
