NASA has embarked on an ambitious journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa with the goal of uncovering the possibility of life in its hidden ocean. The ‘Europa Clipper’ spacecraft began its nearly six-year, 3 billion-kilometer mission after a successful launch from Florida, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. This mission aims to investigate whether conditions beneath Europa’s thick ice sheet could support life. The launch, delayed by Hurricane Milton, marks a significant step forward in space exploration. It follows another milestone by SpaceX, which launched and recovered the booster from its Starship test flight just a day earlier.
Europa, one of Jupiter’s 95 moons, has long intrigued scientists. Beneath its icy surface, there could be a massive ocean, up to 120 kilometers deep. In 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope observed what appeared to be geysers erupting from the moon’s surface. These findings spurred scientists to investigate whether thermal vents on Europa’s ocean floor could provide the conditions necessary for life. “This is a rare opportunity to study a world that might be habitable today, not just millions of years ago,” explained Curt Niebur, a scientist.
The ‘Europa Clipper’ spacecraft, NASA’s largest solar-powered probe, boasts a size comparable to a basketball court and a $5.2 billion budget. It will conduct 49 close flybys of Europa, coming within 25 kilometers of the moon’s surface. The mission is set to conclude in 2034 with a planned crash into another of Jupiter’s moons, Ganymede.
Also Read: Ruth Chepngetich shatters Women’s Marathon record in Chicago
