{"id":64891,"date":"2024-10-15T07:30:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T07:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/7c376312-b27d-4108-b703-8b9c5a535fc8"},"modified":"2024-10-15T09:39:37","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T09:39:37","slug":"nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA&#8217;s Europa Clipper launches on its way to study Jupiter&#8217;s icy moon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">The launch of Europa Clipper will see a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Ezzy Pearson\n      <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 07:30 AM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>NASA&#8217;s Europa Clipper launched from Kennedy Space Center at 12:06 EDT (16:06 UTC) on Monday 14 October 2024.<\/p><p>The launch of the spacecraft to the Jupiter system followed a delay the previous week due to the onslaught of Hurricane Milton.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper Mission Launches From Kennedy Space Center (Highlights)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uUpEEU7pplg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>NASA had previously announced it would target 12 :31 EDT (16:31 UTC) Thursday 10 October 2024 for the launch of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-missions\/europa-clipper\">Europa Clipper mission<\/a>.<\/p><p>Europa Clipper launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA&#8217;s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">rtist&#8217;s impression of Europa Clipper mission. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Europa Clipper explained<\/strong><\/h2><p>Here on Earth, where there\u2019s water, there\u2019s life, which one of the reasons <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-science\/search-water-beyond-earth\">why astronomers search for water beyond Earth<\/a>.<\/p><p>But is that true elsewhere in the Solar System?<\/p><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><p>NASA&#8217;s Europa Clipper will investigate Jupiter&#8217;s moon Europa and determine how likely it is that life might be hiding under the ice.<\/p><p>In this way, it will be covering territory similar to that explored by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-missions\/juice-jupiter-moons\">European JUICE mission to Jupiter and its moons<\/a>.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1128\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/01\/jupiter-moon-europa-cross-section.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration showing a cross-section of Jupiter's moon Europa. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\" class=\"wp-image-145139\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">We could soon know whether Jupiter&#8217;s moon Europa has a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-science-goals\"><strong>Science goals<\/strong><\/h2><p>Following its launch, the Europa Clipper spacecraft began its journey to Europa to map the Jovian moon inside and out.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-missions\/europa-clipper-solar-arrays\">Europa Clipper&#8217;s solar arrays<\/a> power the spacecraft on its epic voyage across the Solar System.<\/p><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><p>Europa Clipper will also gain a better understanding of the geological processes that shape the moon\u2019s face.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1041\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/03\/jupiter-moon-europa.jpg\" alt=\"A view of Jupiter's moon Europa captured by the Juno spacecraft during its flyby on 29 September 2022. Credit: Image data: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SwRI\/MSSS Image processing: Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0 Full Image Details\" class=\"wp-image-147473\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Jupiter&#8217;s moon Europa captured by the Juno spacecraft during its flyby on 29 September 2022. Credit: Image data: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SwRI\/MSSS Image processing: Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0 Full Image Details<\/figcaption><\/figure><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><p>These measurements will be able to assess the thickness of the ice shell, the depth of the ocean and even its salinity.<\/p><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><p>The launch of Europa Clipper began a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"765\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2019\/09\/203_PIA18413-530adf1-e1568729584576.jpg\" alt=\"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\" class=\"wp-image-40815\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of Jupiter&#8217;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><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Europa Clipper launch and journey<\/strong><\/h2><p>Europa Clipper won\u2019t reach the Jupiter system until April 2030.<\/p><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><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><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><p><strong><em>This article appeared in the January 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The launch of Europa Clipper will see a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":64892,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon.jpg",1200,675,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon-1024x576.jpg",800,450,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon.jpg",1200,675,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2024\/10\/nasas-europa-clipper-launches-on-its-way-to-study-jupiters-icy-moon.jpg",1200,675,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The launch of Europa Clipper will see a new chapter in the exploration of this icy moon.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/64891"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}