NASA’s largest spacecraft, Europa Clipper, to find if Jupiter’s icy moon could support life: Explained

The Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration (NASA) is getting ready the Europa Clipper spacecraft for a mega launch in October this yr. It’s the “largest spacecraft NASA has ever constructed for a planetary mission,” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL stated in a publish on X earlier this week.

Listed here are Prime 5 key info it’s good to know concerning the Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper spacecraft. Watch movies for particulars:

1. Mission aim: Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and deal with the planet’s ice-encased moon Europa. NASA stated the Europa Clipper spacecraft shouldn’t be a life-detection mission. “Its major science aim is to find out whether or not there are locations beneath the moon’s icy floor that would assist life,” NASA stated.

Europa is taken into account one of many “most promising doubtlessly liveable environments” within the photo voltaic system.

The important thing questions on Jupiter’s moon Europa that this mission goals to reply are: How thick and the way energetic is its icy shell? How deep is its international ocean? Does it have the circumstances wanted to assist life?

2. How large is the Europa Clipper spacecraft: NASA stated it’s the largest spacecraft it has ever constructed planetary mission. “With its huge photo voltaic arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans greater than 100 ft (about 30 m) – concerning the size of a basketball court docket – and is the biggest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission,” it added. The spacecraft will likely be about 16 toes (5 meters) in peak.

3. Why examine Europa: As per NASA, Jupiter’s moon exhibits robust proof of an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust. It’s suspected to have all of the “substances” wanted for all times as we all know it. Visiting Europa might assist reply large questions like, “How did the universe start and evolve?”.

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4. How will Europa Clipper examine Jupiter’s icy moon: NASA defined by way of a video that the Europa Clipper will carry out 50 flybys of Europa to assemble measurements of the interior ocean, map the floor composition and geology, and hunt for plumes of water vapor which may be venting from the icy crust.

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Watch this video to know intimately how the NASA will use science devices to check Europa in and out:

5. Date, time and place of launch; mission timeline: Europa Clipper spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida. Its launch interval opens on October 10, NASA stated. The spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in 2030. As soon as in orbit round Jupiter, it is going to conduct practically 50 flybys of Europa, shifting its flight path for every encounter to soar over a distinct location in order that it will definitely scans virtually your complete moon.