NASA has launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft to Europa – one of Jupiter’s moons – which is considered one of the most promising locations in the Solar System in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The rocket carrying the Europa Clipper was launched on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Europa Clipper is a solar-powered robot weighing approximately 6 tons. With its solar panels extended, the spacecraft is about 30 meters long. It will orbit Jupiter and conduct nearly 50 flybys of Europa to perform detailed surveys.
Europa is about 90% the size of Earth’s Moon and is covered in ice. NASA has indicated there is strong evidence suggesting the existence of an ocean beneath the icy crust.
The Europa Clipper will utilize various onboard observation instruments to confirm whether an ocean exists beneath the ice and to analyze the types of materials present, aiming to determine if there is a potentially habitable environment.
NASA anticipates that the spacecraft will enter Jupiter’s orbit in 2030, with data collection from Europa officially starting in 2031.
