NASA is preparing to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft. This significant mission aims to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa, which is widely considered a prime candidate for potential extraterrestrial life. Scheduled for launch this October aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, the $5.2 billion mission will take approximately 5 1/2 years to reach its destination. Europa, one of Jupiter’s 95 moons, is nearly the size of Earth’s moon and is covered by an ice sheet believed to be up to 24 kilometers thick. Beneath this icy surface, scientists think there is an ocean that could be more than 120 kilometers deep. The main goal of Clipper is to study whether conditions on Europa could support life by analyzing the moon’s ice, surface, and atmosphere. While not intended to search directly for life, the mission’s findings could pave the way for future investigations.

Clipper will carry nine scientific instruments to conduct extensive research. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and perform 49 flybys of Europa, coming within 25 kilometers of the surface. Due to the intense radiation in Europa’s orbit, the spacecraft’s electronics are housed in a specially designed vault with thick aluminum and zinc walls. The mission will also assess the potential habitability of Europa by examining whether thermal vents on the ocean floor could provide the necessary energy for life. The mission is expected to end in 2034, concluding with a controlled crash into Ganymede, another of Jupiter’s moons. Recent engineering analysis ensured that the spacecraft is equipped to withstand the harsh radiation environment surrounding Jupiter.