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History | Mission – NASA's Europa Clipper
Two powerful science investigations will help unravel the mystery of whether Jupiter's icy moon Europa might have the right conditions for life, when a new NASA mission heads there sometime in the 2020s.

Europa Mission to Probe Magnetic Field and Chemistry

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Mission Updates | News – NASA's Europa Clipper
Mission Updates | News – NASA's Europa Clipper

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Follow Europa Clipper’s journey to Juptier’s icy moon Europa to determine whether there are places below the moon’s surface that could support life.

Europa Clipper Instruments

Imagers / Cameras

Europa Imaging System (EIS)
Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS)

Imagers / Spectrometry

Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS)
Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE)

Plasma and Magnetic Field

Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM)
Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS)

Radar & Gravity

Gravity/Radio Science
Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON)

Chemical Analysis

MAss SPectrometer for Planetary EXploration/Europa (MASPEX)
SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA)

Meet Europa Clipper

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry an advanced suite of science instruments to discover whether Europa hosts environments suitable for life.

Meet the Spacecraft ›

Why Europa?

Scientists are almost certain that hidden beneath the icy surface of Europa is a saltwater ocean thought to contain about twice as much water as Earth’s global ocean. It may be the most promising place in our solar system to find present-day environments suitable for some form of life beyond Earth.

Learn more about Europa ›

Europa News

The spacecraft arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2024, for launch preparations.

NASA's Europa Clipper Makes Cross-Country Flight to Florida

Imagery from NASA's Juno spacecraft shows some intriguing features on the ice-encased Jovian moon.

NASA's Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa's Icy Shell

NASA has selected 40 undergraduate students for the first year of its Europa ICONS (Inspiring Clipper: Opportunities for Next-generation Scientists) internship program.

NASA Selects Students for Europa Clipper Intern Program
Mission Dispatch: Imaging Spectrometer's First Light – NASA's Europa Clipper
Finding plumes at Europa is an exciting prospect, but scientists warn it’ll be tricky, even from up close.

Are Water Plumes Spraying From Europa? NASA's Europa Clipper Is on the Case

In an unprecedented year, the Europa Clipper project continues on the path toward unprecedented science. 

On the Path Towards Unprecedented Science

NASA has decided to replace the current magnetometer on the upcoming Europa Clipper mission with a less complex instrument. 

NASA Seeks New Options for Science Instrument on Europa Clipper

Two powerful science investigations will help unravel the mystery of whether Jupiter's icy moon Europa might have the right conditions for life, when a new NASA mission heads there sometime in the 2020s.

Europa Mission to Probe Magnetic Field and Chemistry

NASA has selected nine science instruments for a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, to investigate whether the mysterious icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life.

NASA's Europa Mission Begins with Selection of Science Instruments

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Europa's Plumes Located near 'Warm Spot' on Europa 

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Possible Spectroscopy Results of Europa Using Webb

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REASON

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NASA Official/Program Executive: 
Dave Lavery

NASA Official/Program Scientist: 
Curt Niebur

Media Contact: 
Gretchen McCartney

Public Engagement Manager: 
Heather Doyle

Public Engagement Lead: 
Laurance Fauconnet

Social Media Lead: 
Bill Dunford

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Sandy Marshall

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NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Completes Main Body of the Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
With its solar arrays and other deployable equipment stowed for launch, Europa Clipper will be as large as an SUV; when extended, the solar arrays make the craft the size of a basketball court. It is the largest NASA spacecraft ever developed for a planetary mission.
“It’s an exciting time for the whole project team and a huge milestone,” said Jordan Evans, the mission’s project manager at JPL. “This delivery brings us one step closer to launch and the Europa Clipper science investigation.”
Set to launch in October 2024, Europa Clipper will conduct nearly 50 flybys of Europa, which scientists are confident harbors an internal ocean containing twice as much water as Earth’s oceans combined. And the ocean may currently have conditions suitable for supporting life. The spacecraft’s nine science instruments will gather data on Europa’s atmosphere, surface, and interior – information that scientists will use to gauge the depth and salinity of the ocean, the thickness of the ice crust, and potential plumes that may be venting subsurface water into space.

The main body of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is seen in its shipping container, just after arriving aboard a C-17 cargo plane at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman

Those instruments already have begun arriving at JPL, where the phase known as assembly, test, and launch operations has been underway since March. The ultraviolet spectrograph, called Europa-UVS, arrived in March. Next came the spacecraft’s thermal emission imaging instrument, E-THEMIS, delivered by the scientists and engineers leading its development at Arizona State University. E-THEMIS is a sophisticated infrared camera designed to map Europa’s temperatures and help scientists find clues about the moon’s geological activity – including regions where liquid water may be near the surface.
By the end of 2022, most of the flight hardware and the remainder of the science instruments are expected to be complete.

This video captures the delivery of the core of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft to the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Science | Mission – NASA's Europa Clipper
NASA has decided to replace the current magnetometer on the upcoming Europa Clipper mission with a less complex instrument. 

NASA Seeks New Options for Science Instrument on Europa Clipper

NASA will host a Science Chat at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT Monday, May 14), to discuss the latest analysis of Jupiter’s moon Europa and its status as one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for life.

NASA Hosts Live Discussion about Europa Findings, Potential for Life

The Europa Clipper project team continues to grow as we move into more detailed design of the equipment, and it is gratifying to see such a geographically distributed team work well together. 

The Sextant: Europa Clipper Newsletter

Two powerful science investigations will help unravel the mystery of whether Jupiter's icy moon Europa might have the right conditions for life, when a new NASA mission heads there sometime in the 2020s.

Europa Mission to Probe Magnetic Field and Chemistry

NASA has selected nine science instruments for a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, to investigate whether the mysterious icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life.

NASA's Europa Mission Begins with Selection of Science Instruments

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NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

NASA Official/Program Executive: 
Dave Lavery

NASA Official/Program Scientist: 
Curt Niebur

Media Contact: 
Gretchen McCartney

Public Engagement Manager: 
Heather Doyle

Public Engagement Lead: 
Laurance Fauconnet

Social Media Lead: 
Bill Dunford

Science Writer: 
Sandy Marshall

Science Writer: 
Amanda Barnett
NASA's Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase – NASA's Europa Clipper
NASA's Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase – NASA's Europa Clipper

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| February 21, 2017

NASA's Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase

This artist's rendering shows NASA's Europa mission spacecraft, which is being developed for a launch sometime in the 2020s. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A mission to examine the habitability of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moon Europa is taking one step closer to the launchpad, with the recent completion of a major NASA review.
On Feb. 15, NASA's Europa multiple-flyby mission successfully completed its Key Decision Point-B review. This NASA decision permits the mission to move forward into its preliminary design phase, known as "Phase B," beginning on Feb. 27.
A highlight of Phase A was the selection and accommodation of 10 instruments being developed to study the scientific mysteries of Europa. The new mission phase is planned to continue through September 2018, and will result in the completion of a preliminary design for the mission's systems and subsystems. Some testing of spacecraft components, including solar cells and science instrument detectors, has already been underway during Phase A, and this work is planned to continue into Phase B.
In addition, during Phase B subsystem vendors will be selected, as well as prototype hardware elements for the science instruments. Spacecraft subassemblies will be built and tested as well.
The Europa mission spacecraft is being planned for launch in the 2020s, arriving in the Jupiter system after a journey of several years. The spacecraft would orbit Jupiter as frequently as every two weeks, providing many opportunities for close flybys of Europa. The mission plan includes 40 to 45 flybys in the prime mission, during which the spacecraft would image the moon's icy surface at high resolution and investigate its composition and the structure of its interior and icy shell.
The life cycle of a NASA science mission includes several key phases. At each step, missions must successfully demonstrate that they have met the agency's requirements in order to indicate readiness to move forward into the next phase.
All Systems Go for NASA's Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa – NASA's Europa Clipper
All Systems Go for NASA's Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa – NASA's Europa Clipper

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| July 17, 2015

All Systems Go for NASA's Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa

Could a liquid water ocean beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa have the ingredients to support life? Here's how NASA's mission to Europa would find out. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Beyond Earth, Jupiter’s moon Europa is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for signs of present-day life, and a new NASA mission to explore this potential is moving forward from concept review to development.
NASA’s mission concept -- to conduct a detailed survey of Europa and investigate its habitability -- has successfully completed its first major review by the agency and now is entering the development phase known as formulation.
“Today we’re taking an exciting step from concept to mission, in our quest to find signs of life beyond Earth,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “Observations of Europa have provided us with tantalizing clues over the last two decades, and the time has come to seek answers to one of humanity’s most profound questions.”
NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter in the late 1990s produced strong evidence that Europa, about the size of Earth’s moon, has an ocean beneath its frozen crust. If proven to exist, this global ocean could hold more than twice as much water as Earth. With abundant salt water, a rocky sea floor, and the energy and chemistry provided by tidal heating, Europa may have the ingredients needed to support simple organisms.
The mission plan calls for a spacecraft to be launched to Jupiter in the 2020s, arriving in the distant planet’s orbit after a journey of several years. The spacecraft would orbit the giant planet about every two weeks, providing many opportunities for close flybys of Europa. The mission plan includes 45 flybys, during which the spacecraft would image the moon's icy surface at high resolution and investigate its composition and the structure of its interior and icy shell.
NASA's Europa Probe Gets a Hotline to Earth – NASA's Europa Clipper
It’s supercool to get to work on something that has the potential for such a big impact, in terms of knowledge, for humanity.”
After completing this major milestone, Europa Clipper still has a few more steps and a few more tests ahead as it’s prepared for its trip to the outer solar system.
More About the Mission
Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.”
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Gretchen McCartney 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 
818-393-6215
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov 
Karen Fox / Alana Johnson
NASA Headquarters, Washington
301-286-6284 / 202-358-1501
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov
Written by Pat Brennan

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Members of the media put on “bunny suits” on April 11, 2024, to see Europa Clipper up close at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

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When it launches in October, NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry a richly layered dispatch that includes more than 2.6 million names submitted by the public.

NASA Unveils Design for Message Heading to Jupiter's Moon Europa
Europa Clipper - NASA Science
Scientists predict Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that could hold the building blocks necessary to sustain life.TypeOrbiterLaunchOct. 10, 2024TargetEuropaObjectiveDetermine if Europa has conditions suitable to support lifeMission OverviewSpacecraftWhy Europa?What will Europa Clipper do?Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.The mission’s three main science objectives are to understand the nature of the ice shell and the ocean beneath it, along with the moon’s composition and geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.Read MoreAn artist's concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.NASA/JPL-CaltechWhat is NASA’s 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.Read MoreWorkers use a crane to lift Europa Clipper's high-gain antenna as they prepare to install it on the spacecraft on Aug. 14, 2023. NASA/JPL-CaltechWhy 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.Read MoreThis 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 Begins Assembly of Europa Clipper Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
A mission to examine the habitability of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moon Europa is taking one step closer to the launchpad, with the recent completion of a major NASA review.

NASA's Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase

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Europa: Water World Infographic

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Europa Clipper Compared to a Basketall Court

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Prominent "X" on Europa

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NASA Official/Program Executive: 
Dave Lavery

NASA Official/Program Scientist: 
Curt Niebur

Media Contact: 
Gretchen McCartney

Public Engagement Manager: 
Heather Doyle

Public Engagement Lead: 
Laurance Fauconnet

Social Media Lead: 
Bill Dunford

Science Writer: 
Sandy Marshall

Science Writer: 
Amanda Barnett
NASA Mission Named 'Europa Clipper' – NASA's Europa Clipper
The spacecraft will use multiple flybys of the moon to investigate the habitability of this ocean world.

NASA's Europa Clipper Builds Hardware, Moves Toward Assembly

In an unprecedented year, the Europa Clipper project continues on the path toward unprecedented science. 

On the Path Towards Unprecedented Science

Scientists have theorized on the origin of the water plumes possibly erupting from Jupiter's moon Europa. Recent research adds a new potential source to the mix.

Potential Plumes on Europa Could Come From Water in the Crust

New lab experiments re-create the environment of Europa and find that the icy moon shines, even on its nightside. The effect is more than just a cool visual.

Europa Glows: Radiation Does a Bright Number on Jupiter's Moon

The surface of Jupiter's moon Europa features a widely varied landscape, including ridges, bands, small rounded domes and disrupted spaces that geologists call "chaos terrain." Three newly reprocessed images, taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s, reveal details in diverse surface features on Europa.

Newly Reprocessed Images of Europa Show 'Chaos Terrain' in Crisp Detail

An icy ocean world in our solar system that could tell us more about the potential for life on other worlds is coming into focus with confirmation of the Europa Clipper mission's next phase. 

Mission to Jupiter's Icy Moon Confirmed

Scientists discovered that the yellow color visible on portions of the surface of Europa is actually sodium chloride, a compound known on Earth as table salt, which is also the principal component of sea salt.

Table Salt Compound Spotted on Europa

A full-scale prototype antenna, which at 10 feet tall is the same height as a standard basketball hoop, is in the Experimental Test Range (ETR) at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Europa Clipper High Gain Antenna Undergoes Testing at Langley

Students and families can meet a Mars rover, take a virtual tour through our solar system and explore alien worlds with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Clippers SciFest SoCal.

Catch NASA's JPL at the Clippers SciFest This Weekend

NASA has decided to replace the current magnetometer on the upcoming Europa Clipper mission with a less complex instrument.
Mission Dispatch: Tweaking the Trajectory – NASA's Europa Clipper
Tour design must also manage fuel consumption, time between flybys, mission duration, cumulative radiation, ensure communication with Earth during key events, ensure the solar panels receive enough sunlight, and much more. Each proposed tour aims to find the right balance between fulfilling scientific objectives and meeting the demands of operating the spacecraft. 
Long before a single instrument or solar panel for Europa Clipper was assembled, Buffington’s team had already started developing possible science tours. Over many years, they presented possible tours to the mission’s leading engineers and scientists, who then provided feedback. Buffington’s team then further refined the tours. 
The mission design team will continue refining Europa Clipper’s trajectory as the mission prepares for launch in October 2024. While Buffington’s team sculpts Europa Clipper’s trajectory, other teams are refining different aspects of the mission. All these teams are essential to help the Europa Clipper mission blaze a trail for the study of ocean worlds, and the search for habitable worlds beyond Earth.
By Jay R. Thompson

Meet Europa Clipper

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will conduct a detailed survey of Jupiter's moon Europa to determine whether the icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life. Europa Clipper will carry an advanced suite of science instruments to discover whether Europa hosts environments suitable for life.

Meet the spacecraft ›

Why Europa?

Scientists are almost certain that hidden beneath the icy surface of Europa is a saltwater ocean thought to contain about twice as much water as Earth’s global ocean. It may be the most promising place in our solar system to find present-day environments suitable for some form of life beyond Earth.

Learn more about Europa › 

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Re-analyzing Old Data Reveals New Evidence at Europa

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Related News

Members of the media put on “bunny suits” on April 11, 2024, to see Europa Clipper up close at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Media Get Close-Up of NASA's Jupiter-Bound Europa Clipper

We're thrilled to announce that NASA's 'Message in a Bottle' campaign has been nominated for a #Webby Award!