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Europa Clipper

NASA•

nominal

Europa Clipper is NASA's flagship mission to study Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons, which is believed to harbor a vast liquid water ocean beneath its icy crust. The mission will determine whether Europa has conditions suitable for life.

Cruise PhaseTarget: Europa (Jupiter Moon)

Live Telemetry—

Distance from Earth

4.10AU

613.35M km

Distance from Sun

4.80AU

718.07M km

Velocity

9.8km/s

35,280 km/h

Mission Duration

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Signal Journey — Earth ↔ Probe

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34 minutesone-way at speed of light

Key Achievements

✦NASA's largest planetary spacecraft ever built

✦Carries 9 science instruments

✦Will map Europa's surface in unprecedented detail

✦Will measure ice shell thickness via radar

✦Will search for plumes of water vapor

✦Will assess habitability potential of Europa's ocean

Science Instruments

E-THEMIS — Thermal imaging

EIS — Wide and narrow angle cameras

MASPEX — Mass spectrometer

MISE — Infrared spectrograph

REASON — Ice-penetrating radar

UVS — Ultraviolet spectrograph

Mission Facts

Launch Vehicle

SpaceX Falcon Heavy

Spacecraft Mass

6,065 kg (fully fueled)

Power Source

Two 46.3-meter solar arrays

Jupiter Arrival

2030

Europa Flybys

49 planned

Mission Duration

~4 years in Jovian system

Other Probes

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