Europa: Exploration
This close-up image taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft covers about 93 miles (150 kilometers) by 125 miles (200 kilometers) of Europa’s surface. It shows a region crisscrossed with a network of fine grooves and double ridges – pairs of long parallel lines indicating elevated features in the ice. Juno’s Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) – a star camera used to orient the spacecraft – obtained the black-and-white image during the spacecraft’s flyby of Europa on Sept. 29, 2022, at a distance of about 256 miles (412 kilometers). - More about this image
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI
Five spacecraft have visited Europa up close and scientists do regular checkups on the tiny moon with the powerful Hubble Space Telescope. More missions are planned.
- NASA is building a spacecraft called Europa Clipper and ESA (European Space Agency) has launched a mission called JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer).
- Most of what we know about Europa comes from several years of orbital observations by the Galileo and, currently, the Juno spacecraft.
- The moon was first observed up close during the Jupiter flybys of Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.
- Europa, one of the first moons discovered beyond Earth, played a crucial role in understanding how our solar system works.
Explore in 3D—Eyes on the Solar System
Eyes on the Solar System lets you explore the planets, their moons, asteroids, comets and the spacecraft exploring them from 1950 to 2050. Ride with the Curiosity Rover as it lands on Mars or fly by Pluto with the New Horizons spacecraft all from the comfort of your home computer.
