Space|Jupiter’s moon Europa has a huge icy ocean that scientists see as promising.
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
On Monday, NASA sent the Europa Clipper probe to study Jupiter’s moon Europa.
The probe was launched from Florida.
Europa Clipper will enter Jupiter’s orbit in 2030.
The probe will make 49 flights close to Europa starting in 2031.
of the United States space administration NASA has sent a probe to investigate whether Jupiter’s moon Europa could be favorable for life.
The news agency reports about it Reuters.
NASA’s Europa Clipper probe was launched from the space center in Florida on Monday. It is carried by the Falcon Heavy rocket of the Space X space company.
Jupiter is 2.9 billion kilometers away. Europa Clipper is not expected to reach Jupiter’s orbit until 2030.
Europa is the fourth largest of Jupiter’s 95 moons that have been identified. It’s only a quarter the diameter of Earth, but its vast sub-icy ocean may hold up to twice as much water as our home planet.
The hope that Europa could be suitable for life lies precisely in that salty sea. Life on Earth is thought to have originated in our own oceans.
The image shows Jupiter’s moon Europa. It is the higher of the two visible moons in the picture, closer to Jupiter. Another of the moons visible in the picture is Callisto.
The Europa Clipper probe is scheduled to make 49 flights close to the moon Europa starting in 2031. It is scheduled to land at the closest distance of 25 kilometers from the surface of Europa.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It is more than twice the size of the other planets in the solar system combined. Its magnetic field is about 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s. One of Europa Clipper’s challenges is to survive this heavy radiation intact.
On a spaceship there is no direct route ahead: it first goes round and round near Mars and then returns to Earth to circle around it as well. In this way, it gathers momentum for its long journey. The Europa Clipper collects its energy with the solar panels installed on it.
The Europa Clipper was originally scheduled to launch last week, but the launch was delayed due to Hurricane Milton, which wreaked havoc in the United States.