NASA launches Europa Clipper mission, which will search for signs of life on Jupiter’s moon

MIAMI, USA —

A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) probe plans to begin a historic journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa this Monday to explore its subsurface ocean and search for possible signs of life.

The mission, called Europa Clipper, is the largest probe NASA has developed for this type of planetary travel and will mark the first detailed approach to this icy moon, a destination that has captivated scientists for decades.

Search for life

Europa has been identified by NASA as one of the most promising places to search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system. Beneath its icy surface is estimated to lie a vast ocean of liquid water, making the moon an ideal candidate for exploring habitable environments beyond Earth.

“Europe is one of the most promising places to search for life beyond Earth,” commented Gina DiBraccio, a NASA spokeswoman for the mission, during a press conference to which the agency had access. Voice of America.

The Europa Clipper mission, the official emphasized, has as its main goal “to determine whether there are places under the Europa ice sheet where life could exist” and will answer three big questions: what is the nature of the ice sheet and the ocean below it? What can we learn about its chemical and geological composition?

These answers, once received, “will help the scientific community better understand the astrobiological capabilities of this type of ocean world beyond our planet.”

When will take off?

The probe is scheduled to launch this Monday, October 14, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Takeoff is expected to take place after 12:06 (local time). Europa Clipper will arrive at its destination in April 2030 and during its mission will flyby Europa’s moon at an altitude of just 25 kilometers above the surface.

Kurt Niebuhr, the scientist in charge of the mission, emphasized the importance of the project: “This is an opportunity for us to explore not a world that might have been habitable billions of years ago,” meaning Mars, “but one that might have been habitable.” inhabited.” right now”.

Largest planetary mission probe

Europa Clipper will be the largest spacecraft ever developed by NASA for a planetary mission. Approximately five meters tall and spanning over 30 meters with its solar panels deployed, the probe is an engineering marvel. Its enormous size is partly due to the need to collect enough sunlight to generate energy, since the Jupiter system is five times farther from the Sun than Earth.

Technical problems were significant. In May, engineers discovered that some components of the spacecraft may not withstand Jupiter’s highly radioactive environment. However, the team successfully completed the necessary testing and received permission to launch in September. “There has never been a more difficult year than this one to get Europa Clipper to the finish line,” Niebuhr said, reflecting the complexity of the mission.

Radiation from Jupiter

One of the biggest challenges Europa Clipper will face is the intense radiation coming from Jupiter’s magnetic field. To protect its electronic systems, NASA equipped the ship with special storage made of titanium and aluminum. Designed to protect against radiation, this shield was first used successfully on the Juno mission and will help reduce degradation of vital spacecraft components.

The $5.2 billion mission represents a monumental deep space exploration effort, and expectations are high. “The one thing we never doubted was that it was worth it,” Niebuhr stressed. “This is an opportunity to do the first study of this new type of world that we discovered just recently, called an ocean world, which is completely covered by an ocean of liquid water.”

Cutting-edge technology for a unique mission

The Europa Clipper mission is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments to take detailed measurements. These include cameras and spectrometers that can produce high-resolution images and maps of the star’s surface composition. In addition, ice-penetrating radar will look for signs of groundwater, and a magnetometer and gravity sensors will probe features of the hidden ocean and subsurface of the Moon.

The space project will also include a thermal imaging instrument to identify areas of warmer ice and potential water eruptions, providing important information about the Moon’s recent geological activity. This data will help scientists understand whether Europa’s satellite has the conditions necessary to support life.

Connect to the Voice of America! Subscribe to our YouTube channels, WhatsApp and newsletter. Activate notifications and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.