The Europa Clipper (planned to launch on October 10th, 2024) has been in the making for 12+ years to study a Jupiter Moon, Europa. Europa is a habitable planet for humans. It has a layer of ice believed to have 2x the earth’s water trapped underneath. In all of Earth’s history, all life has been made or found near water. The hope is that by surveilling the moon, we can find some evidence of life or habitability.
To talk about the Europa Clipper itself, the design and build of it is very unique. First, there are 10 big solar panels, almost the vertical size of the Statue of Liberty. These make sure that the battery is being constantly charged to enable the Europa to go so far for 5+ years. For the electrical components of the Clipper, the UV radiation in space along with other physical obstacles could affect the efficiency. All of the electrical components are protected by radiation-proof aluminum, along with a hard box, with the hope of keeping any physical harm away. Also, there are inevitable radiation problems that will occur by orbiting the Jupiter Moon too close. To combat this, NASA has decided to fly by the moon for a short period, to reduce any incoming radiation. During these 44 flybys of the moon, over a million X-rays of the moon will be taken. NASA hopes to learn more about both the moon near Jupiter as well as if we can move in. But before this 5.5+ year trip, we still have a lot of things to study about our universe. Are there more moons that are habitable? When will we know? 2030, our questions will be answered.
