Spitzer’s Beyond Phase Presents New Engineering Challenges: Optimizing Performance and Maximizing Scientific Data Collection

Spitzer’s Beyond phase has presented new engineering challenges for the spacecraft. As it travels around the sun at a slower pace, the distance between Spitzer and Earth is widening over time. This means that Spitzer’s antenna must be angled at higher positions towards the sun for communication with Earth, leading to parts of the spacecraft experiencing increased heat.

Moreover, the solar panels on Spitzer point away from the sun and receive less sunlight, putting additional stress on the batteries. In order 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. Despite its age, Spitzer continues to make valuable contributions to our understanding of space through its ongoing mission.