How NASA Saved a Camera From 370 Million Miles Away

NASA's Juno spacecraft experienced radiation damage to its JunoCam imager during its Jupiter mission. The damage manifested as corrupted images after the 47th orbit, impacting the camera's ability to capture clear pictures. The team identified a likely damaged voltage regulator as the source of the problem. They attempted a process called annealing, heating the affected component to repair it. The initial annealing attempt showed some success, but the problem recurred. A more extreme annealing process was then implemented, successfully restoring JunoCam's functionality. This allowed the camera to capture detailed images of Jupiter's moon Io during a close flyby. The improved images revealed new details about Io's volcanic activity and surface features. However, the image noise has recently returned, indicating further radiation damage. Juno has now completed 74 orbits of Jupiter.