Engineering a solution to jupiter exploration

The challenge associated with operating a spacecraft for long periods within the radiation belts of Jupiter is significant. The promise of incredible science is well worth the risk though, when the risk is identified and controlled. To be managed within reasonable resource limits, a system level engineering approach is needed to balance available resources, bolstering the weakest areas and adjusting the design as a whole for best results, rather than focusing on local concerns. It is important to establish these design methodologies early in conceptual development, and carry them forward in a committed, disciplined manner through development and operation. Early risk assessment and mitigation activities are also essential to controlling cost and risk. The JEO team has been pro-active in deploying a comprehensive risk mitigation plan, now in its second year, to retire most radiation risks prior to the Phase A development. The JPL/APL team has capitalized on prior deep space experience, significantly leveraging this technical expertise. Experience gained from Juno and RBSP would aid the proposed JEO mission during Phase A/B development; and the Galileo orbiter, in particular, has provided both a wealth of radiation data and an invaluable demonstration, well beyond anyone's expectations, of the practicability of operating a scientific spacecraft in the most intense regions of Jupiter's radiations belts.