NASA's Europa Clipper mission, launched on October 14, 2024, has begun its extensive journey to Jupiter's moon Europa. This mission is designed to investigate Europa's potential to harbor life by exploring its subsurface ocean and icy shell. The spacecraft's trajectory includes crucial gravity assist maneuvers, first around Mars on March 1, 2025, and later from Earth in December 2026, to efficiently reach the Jovian system.
The Europa Clipper is equipped with nine sophisticated scientific instruments, including the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) instrument, which will penetrate Europa's ice to search for water. Other key instruments include the Europa Imaging System (EIS) cameras for detailed surface mapping and the Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) to analyze surface composition. The mission is projected to arrive at Jupiter in April 2030, after which it will conduct 49 close flybys of Europa. Scientists believe Europa's vast saltwater ocean, estimated to contain more water than all of Earth's oceans combined, along with essential chemical elements and energy from Jupiter's tidal forces, could create an environment conducive to life.