Overcoming Engineering Challenges in Spitzer’s Beyond Phase: A Journey to Optimize Performance and Maximize Scientific Data

The Beyond phase of Spitzer’s orbit and its advancing age have presented new engineering challenges for the spacecraft. As Spitzer travels around the sun at a slower pace than Earth, the distance between them has been widening over time. This requires the spacecraft to angle its antenna at higher positions towards the sun for communication with Earth, which results in parts of the spacecraft experiencing increased heat. Additionally, due to its position away from the sun, the solar panels on Spitzer receive less sunlight and put additional stress on the batteries.

To facilitate this riskier mode of operations, the mission team will need to override certain autonomous safety systems on Spitzer. These adjustments are necessary to ensure that the spacecraft can continue its mission effectively despite the challenges posed by its unique orbit and advancing age. By addressing these engineering challenges, the team can optimize Spitzer’s performance during the Beyond phase and maximize the scientific data collected by the spacecraft.