Europa Clipper

Launching soon on a mission to explore Jupiter's ocean world.

future Mission

events (update coming)

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A spacecraft hovers over a reddish striped moon with planet Jupiter in the background.

Europa Clipper is launching soon on the first mission to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter's moon Europa. There’s scientific evidence that the ingredients for life may exist on Europa right now.

Type

Orbiter/Flyby

Launch

October 2024

Target

Europa: Arrives 2030

Objective

Determine if Europa has conditions suitable to support life

Special Note: NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the October 10 launch attempt of Europa Clipper due to Hurricane Milton. A new launch date will be set after the storm passes.

NASA, SpaceX Secure Europa Clipper Ahead of Hurricane

NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Oct. 10, launch attempt due to anticipated hurricane conditions. 

Hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico across the Florida Peninsula to the Space Coast. High winds and heavy rain are expected at the Kennedy Space Center launch site. Launch teams have secured Europa Clipper in SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A. Once the storm passes, NASA will determine the next launch opportunity. Europa Clipper has launch windows until Nov. 6.

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Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside its payload fairing on Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA/Ben Smegelsky

What Will Europa Clipper Do?

Europa Clipper will try to determine if Jupiter's icy moon Europa currently has habitable conditions.

Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion km) to reach Jupiter in April 2030. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter, and conduct 49 close flybys of Europa. On each orbit, the spacecraft will spend less than a day in the dangerous radiation zone near Europa before zipping back out. Two to three weeks later, it will repeat the process. The spacecraft carries nine science instruments, and a gravity experiment that uses the telecommunications system. All science instruments will operate simultaneously on every pass.

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Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.
An artist's concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Meet the Europa Clipper Spacecraft

Europa Clipper is a robotic solar-powered spacecraft built to conduct the first detailed investigations of Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

With its solar arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans more than 100 feet (about 30 meters) – about the length of a basketball court. The main body of the spacecraft consists of its avionics vault, radiofrequency module, and propulsion module.

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Europa Clipper sits on a silver work stand. The spacecraft's high gain antenna is in the front and center of the image. The folded solar panels are attached to each side of the spacecraft. At least four workers in blue jumpsuits and white head covers are to the sides of the spacecraft.
On Sept. 11, 2024, technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center work to complete operations before propellant loading for the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. Europa Clipper’s launch period opens on October 10, 2024.
NASA/Kim Shiflett

Why Go to Europa?

The search for life beyond Earth is one of NASA’s primary objectives. 

If humans are to truly understand our place in the universe, we must learn whether our planet is the only place where life exists. So the search is on! There is strong evidence Jupiter's moon Europa has a saltwater ocean that may be one of the best places to look for environments where life could exist beyond Earth.

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The pale gray of Europa is seen against the blackness of space.
This view of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa was captured by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during the mission’s close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022.
NASA

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