NASA mission to explore Jupiter’s ‘ocean moon’ Europa in search of alien life could launch within the next five years, agency says
- NASA say’s it mission to one of Jupiter’s moons has gotten approval to proceed
- Europa, one of Jupiter’s 79 moons, contains water, ice, and maybe volcanoes
- The Europa Clipper mission will survey one of Jupiter’s watery moons for life
- It could be launched as soon as 2023 and as late as 2025 says NASA
- Instruments will glean the moon’s composition and look for amino acids
NASA’s mission to search for life on one of Jupiter’s ocean moons is finally moving forward.
The mission, called Europa Clipper, has gotten the go-ahead from NASA, allowing it to begin its final design phase and the subsequent construction and testing of both the spacecraft and its payload.
NASA says it’s aiming to have the spacecraft deployed by 2025, but it could be ready as soon as 2023.
NASA’s mission to Europa, one of Jupiter’s many moons, has gotten the seal of approval to move forward into the design and construction phase. Europa picture above
‘We are all excited about the decision that moves the Europa Clipper mission one key step closer to unlocking the mysteries of this ocean world,’ said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA.
‘We are building upon the scientific insights received from the flagship Galileo and Cassini spacecraft and working to advance our understanding of our cosmic origin, and even life elsewhere.’
Once launched, Europa Clipper will make its way to one of Jupiter’s 79 moons called Europa, where it will conduct a host of experiments designed to test the watery planet’s capacity to harbor life.
Europa has been pegged by NASA as one potential hot spot for life due to a number of factors, including its tidal forces.
The gravitational effects of Jupiter create tides and heat which keep water on the otherwise icy planet from freezing.
Scientists think that the moon could even contain volcanic vents beneath its surface, much like those on Earth which support a surprisingly vast array of lifeforms.
In June, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope spotted the presence of sodium chloride, also known as simple table salt, on the icy planet’s surface.
Sodium chloride is also what makes the Earth’s oceans so salty, leading scientists to believe there may be more similarities between the two bodies of water that are yet to be discovered.
Another area of particular interest for NASA will be whether Europa contains any amino acids, which are long understood to the building blocks for lifeforms as we know them.
Underground volcanoes (artist’s impression pictured) may be harbored beneath Europa’s surface say scientists
To help it gain insights, the spacecraft will be equipped with cameras and spectrometers that can produce high-resolution images of Europa’s surface and also determine its composition.
One particularly powerful instrument is what NASA calls an ‘ice-penetrating radar’ that can discern the thickness of the planet’s icy shell and rove for sub-surface lakes, similar to those seen on Earth in Antarctica.
Scientists say that once Clipper is launched, it will make various flybys of the moon as opposed to orbiting it continually.
This strategy will help to avoid the powerful radiation trapped by Jupiter’s magnetic field – energy that would destroy most instruments.