Europa Clipper Launches to Investigate Life Potential on Jupiter’s Moon

NASA launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft on a mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa for potential signs of life. The spacecraft will investigate Europa’s subsurface ocean beneath its icy exterior. Aiming to conduct 49 flybys, the Europa Clipper will gather data on water plumes and surface composition.

Europa, with a vast global ocean of salty liquid water, is believed to harbor conditions suitable for life beyond Earth. The mission, set to enter Jupiter’s orbit in 2030, hopes to uncover insights into Europa’s potential habitability but is not aimed at discovering living organisms.

The Europa Clipper, NASA’s largest spacecraft for a planetary mission, will face intense radiation around Jupiter, necessitating protection for its sensitive instruments. With the goal of exploring Europa’s environment, the mission plans close flybys and measurements of the moon’s internal ocean, surface composition, and potential water vapor plumes.