On Oct. 9, 2013, the Juno spacecraft will fly past the Earth for a gravity-assist boost that will slingshot the probe onward to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI

A NASA spacecraft bound for Jupiter went into a precautionary safe mode today (Oct. 9), shortly after completing a speed-boosting flyby of Earth.

NASA’s Juno probe detected an anomalous condition and went into safe mode this afternoon after slingshotting around Earth to gain momentum for the long trip to the solar system’s largest planet, according to media reports. While Juno’s handlers are still trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it, they’re hopeful that the problem won’t threaten the $1.1 billion mission.

“We believe we are on track as planned to Jupiter,” Juno project manager Rick Nybakken, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told the Associated Press. He described his level of concern as “moderate.”

The flyby, which was highlighted by a close approach that brought Juno within just 347 miles (558 kilometers) of Earth at 3:21 p.m. EDT (1921 GMT), was designed to boost the probe’s speed from 78,000 mph (126,000 km/h) to 87,000 mph (140,000 km/h), mission officials said.

Once Juno enters orbit around Jupiter, it will study the gas giant’s atmosphere, gravitational field and magnetic field with nine science instruments over the course of a full Earth year. Scientists hope the probe’s observations reveal insights about Jupiter’s formation, structure and composition, including whether or not the planet possesses a solid core.

While the main purpose of today’s flyby was to give Juno a speed boost, mission officials also planned to check out the spacecraft’s science gear during the maneuver.

The Juno team was also planning to take pictures of the Earth-moon system. The probe returned surprisingly little data during the flyby, the AP reported.

via NASA Jupiter Probe Suffers Glitch After Earth Flyby | Space.com.

The Juno spacecraft passes in front of Jupiter in this artist’s depiction. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A NASA spacecraft bound for Jupiter will buzz Earth Wednesday (Oct. 9) to snag a gravity speed boost that will slingshot it toward the largest planet in the solar system.

The Juno spacecraft will be within 350 miles (560 kilometers) of Earth when it zooms by our planet at 3:21 p.m. EDT (1921 GMT). It will be passing over South Africa during its closest approach to Earth.

Since its 2011 launch on an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket, NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter has followed a circuitous route toward Jupiter. This pass around Earth will give it the boost it needs to make it the rest of the way to the solar system’s largest planet, accelerating the spacecraft from its current speed —78,000 mph (126,000 km/h) with respect to the sun — to a speed of 87,000 mph (140,000 km/h).

via Jupiter-Bound NASA Probe to Grab Speed Boost from Earth Flyby Wednesday | Space.com.