Jupiter moon Europa NASA
Mission to Jupiter moon Europa by 2021
Mission to Jupiter moon Europa by 2021
NASA may have devoted many of its exploration resources to
Mars recently, but the US space agency also has its eye on an icy moon of Jupiter that may be capable of
supporting life.
The agency is thinking about ways to investigate the possible habitability of Europa, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon.
One concept that may be gaining traction is a so-called “clipper” probe that would make multiple flybys of the moon, studying its icy shell and suspected subsurface ocean as it zooms past.
The $2 billion unmanned Europa Clipper, which could be ready to launch by 2021 or so, would also do vital reconnaissance work for a potential lander mission in the future.
Astrobiologists regard Europa, which is about 3,100 kilometres wide, as one of the best bets in our solar system to host life beyond Earth.
The agency is thinking about ways to investigate the possible habitability of Europa, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon.
One concept that may be gaining traction is a so-called “clipper” probe that would make multiple flybys of the moon, studying its icy shell and suspected subsurface ocean as it zooms past.
The $2 billion unmanned Europa Clipper, which could be ready to launch by 2021 or so, would also do vital reconnaissance work for a potential lander mission in the future.
Astrobiologists regard Europa, which is about 3,100 kilometres wide, as one of the best bets in our solar system to host life beyond Earth.
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