When talking about places in the Solar System that could have conditions suitable for life, Jupiter’s moon Europa is very often mentioned. According to the findings so far, its surface consists of a several kilometers thick layer of ice, under which there is apparently an ocean of liquid water tens of kilometers deep. The task of the American probe Europa Clipper will be to explore Europa and, above all, whether it really offers the conditions for life. Its launch on the Falcon Heavy rocket may be waiting for us tomorrow – October 14 at 18:06 our time.
The planned path of the Europa Clipper probe through the Solar System.
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The Falcon Heavy will jettison all of its stages on this mission, and no attempt will be made to land them. The cargo weighs around 6 tons and is headed for an escape route from Earth. Europa Clipper is scheduled to fly by Mars in February 2025 and return to Earth for the last time in December 2026 for a gravitational maneuver. In April 2030, it will arrive at Jupiter and enter its orbit. Europa Clpper will study Europa precisely from the orbit around the gaseous planet. If the probe orbited directly around the moon, it would be exposed to much higher doses of radiation. The Europa Clipper will be waiting for almost 50 flybys around Europa at different distances and over different areas. Nine scientific instruments with a total weight of 82 kg will thus be able to thoroughly map everything. And what devices are actually on board?
E-THEMIS – Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System
Imaging equipment offering high resolution and, in addition, multispectral imaging of Europa’s surface in the middle to far infrared range. The task of the device is to find geologically active areas and potential sources of geysers. It is an improved version of the THEMIS instrument from the Mars Odyssey probe.
MISE – Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa
an imaging spectrometer working in the near-infrared region will monitor the chemical composition of substances on the surface of Europa with an emphasis on the search for organic substances (e.g. amino acids), salts and the like. These data will tell scientists not only what the composition of the surface is, but also how habitable the ocean is.
EIS – Europa Imaging System
Imaging apparatus in visible light. It consists of two cameras for mapping the surface of Europa and photographing smaller areas in a higher resolution (up to 0.5 m / pixel). The wide-angle camera WAC (Wide-angle Camera) will offer a field of view of 48° × 28° at a resolution of 11 meters from a distance of 50 km. In addition, it will also take stereoscopic (3D) images of terrain stripes. The NAC camera (Narrow-angle Camera) offers a field of view of only 2.3°×1.2° with the already mentioned resolution of 50 cm at a distance of 50 km. While around 14% of Europa’s surface has so far been mapped with a resolution of better than 500 meters / pixel, it will now be possible to map more than 95% of the moon’s surface with a resolution of better than 50 meters.
Science instruments of the Europa Clipper probe
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Europa-UVS – Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph
An ultraviolet spectrometer to detect small geysers will provide data on the chemical composition and dynamics of Europa’s weak atmosphere (so-called exosphere). The group is headed by Kurt Retherford, who was part of the team that discovered jets on Europa in Hubble observations in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.
REASON – Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface
A dual-frequency (9 and 60 MHz), ice-penetrating radar designed to characterize Europa’s ice crust and the near-subsurface ocean. REASON will also explore the exosphere, surface and subsurface layers to a depth of approximately 30 km.
ECM – Europa Clipper Magnetometer
A replacement for the originally designed ICEMAG device, which was canceled due to budget overruns. The ECM will characterize the magnetic fields around Europa. The sensors are located on a 25-meter-long arm, which is folded at launch. By measuring the strength and orientation of Europa’s magnetic field, scientists would like to confirm the existence of a subsurface ocean, but also to determine the thickness of the ice crust, the depth of the water and its salinity!
PIMS – Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding
A plasma measuring device around Europa to characterize the magnetic fields created by plasma streams. Together with the ECM magnetometer, these data will serve to confirm the existence of the subsurface ocean, but also to determine the thickness of the ice crust, the depth of the water and its salinity! PIMS will also focus on the processes of release of material from Europa’s surface into the atmosphere and ionosphere. This will make it possible to better understand how Europa affects its surroundings and Jupiter’s magnetosphere.
Europa Clipper’s orbit around Jupiter.
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MASPEX – Mass Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration
A mass spectrometer to determine the composition of the subsurface ocean. It will measure the moon’s extremely thin atmosphere and the tiny particles ejected into space.
SUDA – Surface Dust Analyzer
A mass spectrometer that will focus on the composition of small solid particles ejected from the surface. Scientists will thus gain the possibility of direct analysis of the surface and potential geysers. The device can capture trace amounts of organic and inorganic substances on material ejected by geysers. It is also sensitive enough to detect signs of life even if the sample contained less than one bacterial cell in the collected ice grain.
Gravity/Radio Science
It is not a classic scientific instrument, but a high-gain probe antenna. During flybys around Europa, the Doppler shift of the transmitted signal will be measured as it travels between the probe and Earth. This data will help determine how Europa deforms as a function of its distance from Jupiter, which in turn will reveal information about the moon’s internal structure and tidal motions.
Final overview:
- Start time and date: October 14 at 18:06 CET
- Start location: Ramp LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
- Rocket: Falcon Heavy (side stages B1064 and B1065 will fly for the sixth time and center stage B1090 is newly manufactured)
- Primary load: The Europa Clipper probe
- Cargo weight: 6065 kg
- Delivery Orbit: Heliocentric
- Side steps: They will be thrown away
- Central stage: It will be thrown away
We will start our broadcast about 30 minutes before the start, i.e. around 17:30 CEST. If you’re interested in joining the chat, click on the video title in the upper left corner to take you to the YouTube page for that broadcast.
Sources of information:
https://www.elonx.cz/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.nasa.gov/
https://www.nasa.gov/
https://science.nasa.gov/
Image Sources:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/…/1200px-Europa_Clipper_spacecraft_model.png
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Europa Clipper – Searching for Life on Jupiter’s Icy Moon!
Well, folks, hold onto your spacesuits! We’re blasting off on an adventure that not even the best sci-fi writers could have dreamed up. NASA is gearing up for the launch of the Europa Clipper probe, set to zip off into the cosmos on October 14 at 18:06 CET. And where is it headed? Straight to Europa, Jupiter’s frosty moon that might just be hiding some extraterrestrial friends beneath its icy exterior. Yes, I’m talking about life… or at least, the ingredients for one heck of a cosmic party!
The Quest for Life Beneath the Ice
Europa has some seriously intriguing credentials when it comes to hosting life! Think about it: a thick layer of ice covering a vast ocean of liquid water. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Like every good dating profile out there! The Europa Clipper aims to dive deep—figuratively—into understanding if this moon could be home to anything from microbial life to a philosophical octopus contemplating the meaning of life.
- Date and Time: October 14 at 18:06 CET
- Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
- Rocket: Falcon Heavy, which will discard all its stages—just like I do at the end of a bad first date!
The Instruments – More Gadgets Than a Tech Geek’s Dream
Now, let’s talk about the real heroes of this mission—the tools! NASA has packed the Europa Clipper with nine scientific instruments that sound like something straight out of a James Bond film. Check this out:
- E-THEMIS: This thermal emission imaging system will help us find geologically active areas. Yes, we’re searching for geysers—it’s like a cosmic version of spotting a unicorn!
- MISE: An imaging spectrometer that will analyze Europa’s surface composition. Because if there’s organic material, you bet we want to know if it’s the good kind—or just loads of space dust!
- EIS: This bad boy is for taking high-res photos of the surface. Move over influence-rs, there’s a new photographer in town!
- Europa-UVS: An ultraviolet spectrograph to detect small geysers. That’s right, we’re not just looking for any old water vapor—we want the stylish, dramatic jet streams!
- REASON: Ice-penetrating radar designed to explore beneath the icy crust. Not to be confused with your high school friend’s questionable decision to go “ice fishing” on a frozen lake!
- ECM: The Europa Clipper Magnetometer that could tell us how thick the ice is. Finally, someone measuring thickness without judgment!
- PIMS: Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding — sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it helps us understand the magnetic fields near Europa, ensuring we know when to stay away from any cosmic turbulence!
- MASPEX: A mass spectrometer to analyze the subsurface ocean. Essentially, it’s a water-quality tester that doesn’t need to wear rubber gloves!
- SUDA: Surface Dust Analyzer that can detect even trace amounts of organic substances. So, if any tiny critters are partying up there, this system is on the guest list!
What Happens After Launch?
The probe won’t just set off like an overenthusiastic toddler with a new toy. No, it’s scheduled for a voyage that takes it flying by Mars in February 2025—like a cheeky pit stop on its way to the party at Europa! It returns to Earth for a gravitational maneuver in December 2026, and by April 2030, it’s finally ready to orbit Jupiter.
Now, let’s be real. All of this excitement doesn’t guarantee that we’ll find life, but even if we just discover some particularly interesting ice formations, well, that’s a win in my book! After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder—just like my last haircut!
Join the Excitement
If this has you as giddy as a kid waiting for Christmas morning, join the pre-launch coverage! We’ll kick it off 30 minutes before the big event. Just click on the video title above to join the YouTube channel. Who knows? You might witness a landmark in the quest for life beyond Earth!
So, whether you’re a seasoned space enthusiast or just someone who thinks “Europa” sounds like a new coffee blend, this is one launch you won’t want to miss.
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