NASA hacks Jupiter probe camera to recover vital images
After image degradation, NASA used targeted heat to repair JunoCam, successfully restoring the camera in time for a close pass of Jupiter’s moon Io.
NASA engineers have revealed they remotely repaired a failing camera aboard the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter using a bold heating technique known as annealing.
Instead of replacing the hardware, which was impossible given the 595 million kilometre distance from Earth, the team deliberately overheated the camera’s internals to reverse suspected radiation damage.
JunoCam, designed to last only eight orbits, surprisingly survived over 45 before image quality deteriorated on the 47th. Engineers suspected a voltage regulator fault and chose to heat the camera to 77°F, altering the silicon at a microscopic level.
The risky fix temporarily worked, but the issue resurfaced, prompting a second annealing at maximum heat just before a close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io in late 2023.
The experiment’s success encouraged further tests on other Juno instruments, offering valuable insights into spacecraft resilience. Although NASA didn’t confirm whether these follow-ups succeeded, the effort highlighted the increasing need for in-situ repairs as missions explore deeper into space.
While JunoCam resumed high-quality imaging up to orbit 74, new signs of degradation have since appeared. NASA hasn’t yet confirmed whether another fix is planned or if the camera’s mission has ended.
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