On October 14, 2024, NASA launched the Europa Clipper, its largest spacecraft for a planetary mission. The mission’s goal is to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa, specifically to determine if its subsurface ocean, hidden beneath a thick layer of ice, could support life.
The solar-powered robotic probe will travel 2.9 billion kilometers over 5 years and 6 months, reaching Jupiter in 2030. Once there, it will operate in the intense radiation environment of Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, focusing on studying Europa’s potential habitability.
