Scientific Objectives and Investigations of the Europa Clipper Mission
When
Where
Dr. Alfred McEwen
Regents Professor
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
University of Arizona
Europa Clipper (EC) launched on October 14, 2024, with ten scientific instruments plus a gravity science experiment. The main goal of the mission is to assess the habitability of Europa’s ice shell and subsurface ocean (if confirmed), but the mission is capable of a comprehensive study of Europa and the Jupiter system. Remote sensing instruments cover the UV, visible, near-IR, and thermal IR wavelengths, and carries an ice-penetrating radar. in situ experiments include a magnetometer, plasma instrument, gas and dust mass spectrometers, and gravity science. After entering Jupiter orbit in 2030, EC will make 49 close passes of Europa (as close as 25 km) plus a dozen passes of Ganymede or Callisto. Level-1 science objectives are in three groups: (1) iceshell and ocean, (2) composition, and (3) geology, plus a cross-cutting goal to understand current activity such as possible water ice plumes.
Host: Dr. Daniella DellaGiustina