PASADENA, Calif. (Diya TV) — NASA has officially launched the Europa Clipper mission as it seeks out Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which scientists believe may harbor conditions conducive to life. The mission will study Europa’s subsurface ocean, hidden beneath a thick layer of ice.
Europa Clipper is the spacecraft that was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and will take almost six years to reach its destination. Scientists find interesting reasons to look at Europa because of an ocean that the icy moon has beneath its frozen crust, much like Earth’s oceans. It’s very close to Earth and research suggests that this environment may support microbial life.
Once orbiting Jupiter, the Europa Clipper will fly by Europa at distances that offer close views of the moon’s surface and interior 49 times, using a suite of scientific instruments to examine the moon. Through measurements of the moon’s magnetic field and gravity, information will be revealed on the composition of the ocean and its depth.
It will also search for organic compounds and possible geysers that might erupt from the moon’s surface, similar to earlier discoveries made by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Europa’s surface has few impact craters, implying geological activity that can renew its surface. Scientists hope this mission will provide them with new cracks or color changes in the ice, which would be indications of active work processes.
Although the Clipper cannot land on Europa, it will likely be able to take samples from geysers if they exist.
The Europa Clipper mission is part of the broader NASA push to explore other worlds that may harbor life beyond Earth. In studying Europa, scientists hope to gain a better understanding, not just of the moon itself but also the potential for life on similar icy ocean worlds elsewhere in the universe.
