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NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/Gregory M. Waigand<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper mission is due to launch in October 2024 and head towards Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa, where it will hunt for signs that this icy satellite could be suitable for life.<\/p>\n
The spacecraft won\u2019t orbit Europa when it arrives in 2030 \u2013 instead, it will loop around Jupiter in a way that will allow it to repeatedly zoom past the moon at distances as close as 25 kilometres from its surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to get this really comprehensive assessment of what Europa is like,\u201d says Jennifer Scully at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.<\/p>\n
Of the moon\u2019s many mysteries, perhaps the most important is the structure of its internal ocean and whether it could be habitable. While Clipper won\u2019t be able to look for life itself, it will set the stage for future missions that could.<\/p>\n Topics:<\/p>\n