As Spitzer moves farther away from Earth, its unique orbit presents new engineering challenges. The spacecraft travels around the sun at a slower pace than Earth, causing the distance between the two to widen 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. Additionally, the solar panels on Spitzer point away from the sun and receive less sunlight, putting additional stress on the batteries.
To address these challenges and facilitate riskier 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 its unique orbit and advancing age. By optimizing Spitzer’s performance during the Beyond phase and maximizing scientific data collection, the team can ensure that this important mission continues to yield valuable insights into our universe.