NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is because of launch in October 2024 and head in direction of Jupiter’s moon Europa, the place it can hunt for indicators that this icy satellite tv for pc may very well be appropriate for all times.

The spacecraft received’t orbit Europa when it arrives in 2030 – as an alternative, it can loop round Jupiter in a manner that may enable it to repeatedly zoom previous the moon at distances as shut as 25 kilometres from its floor.

“We’re going to get this actually complete evaluation of what Europa is like,” says Jennifer Scully at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Of the moon’s many mysteries, maybe crucial is the construction of its inside ocean and whether or not it may very well be liveable. Whereas Clipper received’t be capable to search for life itself, it can set the stage for future missions that might.