Another attempt to free a stuck antenna on the Galileo mission to Jupiter
has failed.
If the problem is not fixed, it 鈥榳ipes out all our imagery鈥�, says Alan
Wood, a spokesman for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, which is
controlling the mission. In its current state, the antenna can transmit
only 10.5 bits of data per second, compared to a planned rate of 136 000
bits per second. At this rate, Galileo could only transmit 鈥榓bout one frame
each day鈥�, says Wood.
Galileo鈥檚 controllers turned the antenna away from the Sun to cool it,
hoping that it would contract enough to free itself from the central post
where it has caught. They calculated that it might be freed if it cooled
to -170 掳C but it only reached -150 掳C, and did not budge. Another
attempt is scheduled for December.
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