MSN just posted a great article about the Clipper mission to Europa... it's a fascinating read.
Here's our summary, but be sure to read the full post when you have time.
NASA is preparing to launch the Europa Clipper, a massive spacecraft about the length of a basketball court, on October 10 from the Kennedy Space Center. This spacecraft will explore Jupiter's moon Europa, which scientists believe harbors a deep ocean beneath its icy surface. The mission will involve around 50 close flybys of Europa to investigate whether it could support life.
The Europa Clipper is the largest probe NASA has ever built for planetary science missions. Its large size is necessary to generate enough solar power in deep space, where sunlight is much weaker than on Earth. With solar panels extending over 100 feet (30.5 meters), the spacecraft will produce 700 watts of electricity—sufficient to power its instruments.
One key instrument is an ice-penetrating radar, which will scan Europa's thick ice shell (10 to 15 miles deep) and possibly detect where the ice meets the ocean below. Another tool, the Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), will collect particles ejected into space from Europa’s surface, providing insights into its composition.
The Europa Clipper's SUrface Dust Analyzer, or SUDA, which will scoop up particles blasted into space around the moon.
Europa Clipper may also encounter water-ice plumes, potentially offering direct access to the ocean's contents. Although scientists are confident Europa has water, they are still investigating whether it has energy sources and the necessary chemistry (like carbon) for life. This mission will reveal whether Europa's ocean, potentially twice the volume of Earth's seas, has been stable long enough for life to evolve.
Previous missions, such as NASA's Galileo and observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, provided evidence of Europa's ocean. If the Europa Clipper confirms these findings, future missions may even land on the moon to search for signs of life.
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