{"id":53381,"date":"2024-01-08T12:45:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T12:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/7c376312-b27d-4108-b703-8b9c5a535fc8"},"modified":"2024-01-08T13:32:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T13:32:31","slug":"nasas-europa-clipper-will-launch-in-2024-to-explore-jupiters-moon-for-signs-of-habitability","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/nasas-europa-clipper-will-launch-in-2024-to-explore-jupiters-moon-for-signs-of-habitability\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA’s Europa Clipper will launch in 2024 to explore Jupiter’s moon for signs of habitability"},"content":{"rendered":"

The launch of Europa Clipper will see a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon. <\/p>

By Ezzy Pearson\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 08 January 2024 at 12:45 PM<\/p>

\n\n

October 2024 will see the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft on a mission to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to search for signs of habitability. <\/p>

Here on Earth, where there\u2019s water, there\u2019s life, but is that true elsewhere in the Solar System?<\/p>

It\u2019s thought that one of Jupiter\u2019s icy moons, Europa, is home to a subsurface ocean of liquid water that could potentially be home to some kind of microbial life.\u00a0<\/p>

In 2024 NASA plans to send its Europa Clipper<\/strong> spacecraft to thoroughly investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa and determine how likely it is that life might be hiding under the ice.<\/p>

In this way, it will be covering territory similar to that explored by the European JUICE mission to Jupiter and its moons<\/a>.<\/p>

We could soon know whether Jupiter’s moon Europa has a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Science goals<\/strong><\/h2>

Following its launch, the Europa Clipper spacecraft will make the journey to Europa to map the Jovian moon inside and out.<\/p>

Using cameras and spectrometers, it will create a detailed atlas of the entire surface, looking for signs of organic chemicals that could form the building blocks of life.<\/p>

Europa Clipper will also gain a better understanding of the geological processes that shape the moon\u2019s face.<\/p>

Meanwhile, radar, magnetometers and gravity measurements will allow Europa Clipper to look under the surface, finally confirming whether or not the subsurface ocean even exists.<\/p>

These measurements will be able to assess the thickness of the ice shell, the depth of the ocean and even its salinity.<\/p>

It will also keep an eye out for signs of water plumes erupting into the moon\u2019s atmosphere, which have been hinted at by other observations.<\/p>

The launch of Europa Clipper will see a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon.<\/p>

\"A
A view of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, as seen by the Galileo spacecraft. Blue-white areas indicate relatively pure water ice, while red represents areas of water ice mixes with hydrated salts. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SETI Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Europa Clipper launch and journey<\/strong><\/h2>

Europa Clipper is due to launch in October 2024, but won\u2019t reach the Jupiter system until April 2030.<\/p>

Upon its arrival, the spacecraft won\u2019t be able to orbit the moon directly as it lies in an area of intense radiation created by Jupiter\u2019s strong magnetic field.<\/p>

Instead, the spacecraft will fly in a wide, looping orbit around the planet, swooping in past the moon to get as close as 25km from the surface.<\/p>

Europa Clipper will fly by Europa approximately 50 times in this way, building our fullest-ever picture of what lies beneath the surface of this mysterious moon.\u00a0<\/p>

This article appeared in the January 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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