NASA’s latest mission to Jupiter, the Europa Clipper, is scheduled to launch on Oct. 14; it was originally scheduled for Oct. 10, but was delayed due to Hurricane Milton and its aftermath—it’s possible it could be scrubbed again.
The Europa Clipper mission is bound for the icy moon, Europa, and its mission is to examine it in detail, particularly the composition of its icy shell and the ocean below it, as well as its geology. The detailed exploration of the moon will help scientists to better understand the astro-biological potential of life on alien worlds. Its nearly 2 billion-mile voyage to Jupiter will take approximately six years.
NASA describes the remarkable spacecraft, “With its massive solar arrays and radar antennas, Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. The spacecraft has large solar arrays to collect enough light for its power needs as it operates in the Jupiter system, which is more than five times as far from the Sun as Earth. The spacecraft will be about 16 feet (5 meters) in height. With its arrays deployed, the spacecraft spans more than 100 feet (30.5 meters)[the standard length of a football field] and has a dry mass (no propellant in the tanks) of 7,145 pounds (3,241 kg).”
The spacecraft is also heavily shielded against Jupiter’s intense radiation and magnetic fields; Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts are approximately from 400 to 36,040 miles above the surface (from the lower portion of the inner Belt to the outer boundary of the outer Belt). Jupiter’s radiation belts extend approximately 12 million miles in diameter! Europa Clipper’s payload and electronics will be behind vault walls of titanium and aluminum for protection.
