The Europa Clipper mission by NASA has begun its extensive journey to Jupiter to explore Europa, a moon believed to have a vast subsurface ocean that could potentially harbour life. The spacecraft was launched on Monday at 12:06 p.m. EDT using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Europa Clipper, the largest spacecraft ever constructed by NASA for a mission to another planet, is also the agency's inaugural dedicated mission to explore an ocean world beyond Earth. Covering a distance of 2.9 billion kilometres, the spacecraft will utilize gravity assists, first from Mars in four months and then from Earth in 2026. Upon entering Jupiter's orbit in April 2030, Europa Clipper will conduct 49 flybys of Europa.
“Congratulations to our Europa Clipper team for beginning the first journey to an ocean world beyond Earth,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA leads the world in exploration and discovery, and the Europa Clipper mission is no different. By exploring the unknown, Europa Clipper will help us better understand whether there is the potential for life not just within our solar system, but among the billions of moons and planets beyond our Sun.”
Roughly five minutes into the flight, the rocket's second stage ignited, causing the payload fairing, also known as the rocket's nose cone, to open and unveil the Europa Clipper. Around an hour post-launch, the spacecraft detached from the rocket. Shortly after, ground controllers received a signal and established two-way communication at 1:13 p.m. with NASA's Deep Space Network facility in Canberra, Australia. The mission teams rejoiced as the initial telemetry data indicated that the Europa Clipper was functioning well and operating as anticipated.
“We could not be more excited for the incredible and unprecedented science NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will deliver in the generations to come,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Everything in NASA science is interconnected, and Europa Clipper’s scientific discoveries will build upon the legacy that our other missions exploring Jupiter — including Juno, Galileo, and Voyager — created in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet.”
The primary objective of the mission is to ascertain if Europa possesses environments conducive to sustaining life. Europa, similar in size to our Moon, has a distinct interior. Data gathered during NASA's Galileo mission in the 1990s provided compelling evidence indicating the presence of a vast, salty ocean beneath Europa's icy surface, containing more water than all of Earth's oceans combined. Furthermore, scientists have identified indications that Europa could harbour organic compounds and sources of energy below its crust.
Should the mission confirm Europa's habitability, it could suggest the existence of more habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond than previously thought.
“We’re ecstatic to send Europa Clipper on its way to explore a potentially habitable ocean world, thanks to our colleagues and partners who’ve worked so hard to get us to this day,” said Laurie Leshin, director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Europa Clipper will undoubtedly deliver mind-blowing science. While always bittersweet to send something we’ve laboured over for years off on its long journey, we know this remarkable team and spacecraft will expand our knowledge of our solar system and inspire future exploration.”
Europa Clipper will start its science-focused flybys of Europa in 2031, getting as near as 25 kilometres to the surface. The spacecraft is outfitted with nine science instruments and a gravity experiment, such as an ice-penetrating radar, cameras, and a thermal instrument used to identify regions with warmer ice and any recent water eruptions. Representing the most advanced set of scientific instruments NASA has dispatched to Jupiter, they will collaborate to gain a deeper understanding of the moon's icy crust, sparse atmosphere, and inner core.
To operate the instruments under the weak sunlight at Jupiter, Europa Clipper is equipped with the most extensive solar arrays ever employed by NASA in an interplanetary mission. When the arrays are fully deployed, the spacecraft measures 30.5 meters in length. When filled with propellant, its weight totals around 5,900 kilograms.
Over 4,000 individuals have participated in the Europa Clipper mission since its official approval in 2015.
“As Europa Clipper embarks on its journey, I’ll be thinking about the countless hours of dedication, innovation, and teamwork that made this moment possible,” said Jordan Evans, project manager, NASA JPL. “This launch isn’t just the next chapter in our exploration of the solar system; it’s a leap toward uncovering the mysteries of another ocean world, driven by our shared curiosity and continued search to answer the question, ‘Are we alone?’”
The primary scientific goals of the Europa Clipper mission include measuring the thickness of the moon's icy shell and its relationship with the subsurface ocean, analyzing its composition, and studying its geological features. By extensively exploring Europa, this mission aims to enhance scientists' comprehension of the potential for habitable environments on celestial bodies other than Earth.
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