NASA's official announcements and mission status updates

NASA's Europa Clipper Mission to Investigate 62-Mile Thick Ice on Jupiter's Moon

Oct 12, 2024, 11:15 AM

NASA is preparing to launch the Europa Clipper mission to investigate the habitability of Jupiter's moon, Europa. Scientists believe that a vast ocean exists beneath Europa's icy crust, which could potentially harbor life. The mission aims to search for three key ingredients necessary for life: water, energy, and organic compounds. Europa Clipper, named after the speedy 19th-century clipper ships, will peer beneath the moon's surface to gather data on its composition and potential for sustaining life. The moon's icy mantle is estimated to be about 62 miles thick. This mission follows earlier observations by Voyager 2 in 1979, which revealed Europa as the smallest and brightest of Jupiter's Galilean moons. The mission is considered a significant step in the exploration of ocean worlds within our galaxy.