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Instruments | Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
Instruments | Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper

NASA

Europa Clipper

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Introduction
Europa Clipper has a powerful suite of nine science instruments that will work in sync while collecting data to accomplish the mission’s science objectives. During each flyby, the full array of instruments will gather measurements and images that will be layered together to paint the full picture of Europa.
Through thoughtful collaboration, the mission’s scientists will attempt to determine whether there are places below the surface of Europa that could support life. The spacecraft does not have life-seeking instruments. Instead, we must first:

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10 Things to Know About Europa Clipper's Science Instruments

Determine the thickness of Europa’s icy shell, and understand how Europa’s ocean interacts with the surface
Investigate the composition of Europa’s ocean to determine if it has the ingredients to permit and sustain life
Study how Europa’s surface features formed and locate any signs of recent activity, such as sliding crust plates or plumes that are venting water into space

 
Assembly Status
Assembly Status

STEP

1

Hardware Development

2

Hardware Delivered

3

Attached to Spacecraft

4

Environmental Testing

5

Final Checkouts

6

Launch Ready

INSTRUMENTS

EIS

E-THEMIS

Europa-UVS

MISE

ECM

PIMS

REASON

MASPEX

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GRAVITY

*Europa Clipper will use hardware used for communicating with Earth for its gravity/radio science investigations.

Imagers
Imagers
Cameras
Europa Clipper’s visible-light cameras (extending slightly into near-infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths) will map Europa at far better resolution than previous missions.
Europa Clipper - NASA Science
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. NASAEuropa Clipper Arrives in FloridaAssembled at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23 for launch preparations.Learn MoreA United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft carrying Europa Clipper arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2024. NASA/Isaac WatsonWhy NASA is Going to EuropaimagesAt the Launch SiteEngineers and technicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in southern California have wrapped up work on Europa Clipper, and the spacecraft is now at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for launch in October. Check out the images from KSC.See the KSC ImagesEuropa Clipper arrives at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2024.
Gravity/Radio Science | Instruments – NASA's Europa Clipper
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

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Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
for
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
E-THEMIS | Instruments – NASA's Europa Clipper
E-THEMIS

Europa-UVS

MISE

ECM

PIMS

Gravity/Radio Science

REASON

MASPEX

SUDA

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! We need your help to win! Cast your vote for our nomination.

Vote for Us! 'Message in a Bottle' Nominated for a Webby

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

The addition of a high-gain antenna will enable the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft – set to launch in October 2024 – to communicate with mission controllers hundreds of millions of miles away.

NASA's Europa Probe Gets a Hotline to Earth

The Europa Clipper magnetometer has completed its rigorous testing and calibration at JPL and is ready for integration onto the Europa Clipper spacecraft.

Europa Clipper's Magnetometer Testing is Complete, Ready for Integration

The short videos take audiences behind the scenes to learn more about how space missions come together.

New Video Series Captures Team Working on NASA's Europa Clipper

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, who is known for work that explores the human connection to the natural world, is crafting a new poem dedicated to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.

A Voice Among the Stars: Poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Will Ride to Europa on NASA Spacecraft

La poetisa laureada estadounidense Ada Limón, conocida por su trabajo que explora la conexión humana con el mundo natural, está escribiendo un nuevo poema dedicado a la misión Europa Clipper de la NASA.
Europa Clipper Toy Bricks Model – NASA's Europa Clipper
Technicians offload NASA's Europa Clipper from a U.S. Air Force transport aircraft at Kennedy Space Center on May 23, 2024.

Europa Clipper Arrives in Florida

The Europa Clipper spacecraft is about 16 feet (5 meters) in height, and will be the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.

Europa Clipper and People

With its solar arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans more than 100 feet (about 30.5 meters) – about the length of a basketball court. 

Europa Clipper Compared to a Basketall Court

Everywhere there’s water on Earth, there’s life. Does that hold true elsewhere in our solar system?

Why Does NASA Want to Explore Jupiter's Ocean Moon?

How did the team working on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft test whether the spacecraft will work properly in outer space?

Spacecraft Makers: Simulating Space to Test Europa Clipper

The vault plate just before being installed on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.

Europa Clipper Vault Plate: Your Name is Here

The vault plate is installed on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.

Europa Clipper Vault Plate Installed

Engineers and technicians attach the vault plate to NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.

Europa Clipper Vault Plate Screw Turned

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Mission

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Science

Timeline

The Team

History

FAQ

Spacecraft

Meet Europa Clipper

Instruments

Assembly

Vault Plate

Why Europa

Overview

Europa Up Close

Ingredients for Life

Evidence for an Ocean

News

Latest News

Mission Updates

Subscribe

Resources

All Resources

Images

Videos

Activities & Educational Resources

Posters, Stickers, & More

Participate

Participate

Feedback

|

Accessibility

Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
for
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
A Few Steps Closer to Europa: Spacecraft Hardware Makes Headway – NASA's Europa Clipper
The enormous spacecraft that will head to Jupiter’s moon Europa uses four large reaction wheels to help keep it oriented.

NASA's Europa Clipper Gets Its Wheels for Traveling in Deep Space

The spacecraft will occupy the main production facility of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as it prepares for its 2024 launch to Jupiter’s moon Europa.

NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Kicks Assembly Into High Gear

Carlisa Drew went from being a commercial electrician to wiring the electrical system for NASA’s Europa Clipper propulsion module. 

Mission Dispatch: Wiring Europa Clipper's Propulsion Module

The agency’s mission to explore Jupiter’s icy moon takes a big step forward as engineers deliver a major component of the spacecraft.

NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Completes Main Body of the Spacecraft

The instrument to measure the surface temperature of Jupiter’s moon Europa has arrived at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

Europa Clipper's Thermal Imager Delivered to JPL

Science instruments and other hardware for the spacecraft will come together in the mission’s final phase before a launch to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa in 2024.

NASA Begins Assembly of Europa Clipper Spacecraft

Here are ten things to know about how Europa Clipper’s instruments will achieve the mission’s science objectives. 

10 Things to Know About Europa Clipper's Science Instruments

Europa Clipper will need to know its orientation while traveling from Earth to Jupiter and in orbit around Jupiter. To accomplish this, it will use the stars. 

Mission Dispatch: Tracking the Stars

The most complex and demanding segment of Europa Clipper's trajectory is the three years when it performs repeated flybys of Jupiter's moon Europa. 

Mission Dispatch: Tweaking the Trajectory 

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

NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for Earth’s first mission to conduct detailed investigations of Jupiter's moon Europa.

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Europa Clipper Mission
NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Completes Main Body of the Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
Europa Clipper’s surface dust analyzer instrument was delivered to JPL in September 2022. 

Europa Clipper's Surface Dust Analyzer Instrument Delivered to JPL 

The approximately 10-foot-diameter (3-meter-diameter) HGA will beam back information from Europa Clipper’s nine instruments, which will gather data on Europa’s atmosphere, surface, and interior.

Europa Clipper's High-Gain Antenna Undergoes Precision Testing at NASA Langley

The spacecraft will occupy the main production facility of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as it prepares for its 2024 launch to Jupiter’s moon Europa.

NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Kicks Assembly Into High Gear

Carlisa Drew went from being a commercial electrician to wiring the electrical system for NASA’s Europa Clipper propulsion module. 

Mission Dispatch: Wiring Europa Clipper's Propulsion Module

The instrument to measure the surface temperature of Jupiter’s moon Europa has arrived at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

Europa Clipper's Thermal Imager Delivered to JPL

The instrument collects ultraviolet light with a telescope and creates images to help determine the composition of Europa’s atmospheric gases and surface materials. 

Europa Clipper's Ultraviolet Spectrograph Delivered to JPL

Science instruments and other hardware for the spacecraft will come together in the mission’s final phase before a launch to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa in 2024.

NASA Begins Assembly of Europa Clipper Spacecraft

Here are ten things to know about how Europa Clipper’s instruments will achieve the mission’s science objectives. 

10 Things to Know About Europa Clipper's Science Instruments

Europa Clipper will need to know its orientation while traveling from Earth to Jupiter and in orbit around Jupiter. To accomplish this, it will use the stars. 

Mission Dispatch: Tracking the Stars

ASU scientists and engineers building Europa Clipper's thermal imager passed a major hurdle recently by capturing the first successful test images, known as “first light” images, from this complex infrared camera.

Europa Clipper's Thermal Imager Captures Breathtaking "First Light" Images

The most complex and demanding segment of Europa Clipper's trajectory is the three years when it performs repeated flybys of Jupiter's moon Europa.
Vault Plate | Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
La NASA ha lanzado un nuevo sitio web en español para invitar al público a enviar sus nombres a bordo de Europa Clipper, una misión que iniciará su viaje a la luna de Júpiter Europa en octubre de 2024.

NASA invita a hispanohablantes a enviar sus nombres en Europa Clipper

Stay Connected

Mission

Overview

Science

Timeline

The Team

History

FAQ

Spacecraft

Meet Europa Clipper

Instruments

Assembly

Vault Plate

Why Europa

Overview

Europa Up Close

Ingredients for Life

Evidence for an Ocean

News

Latest News

Mission Updates

Subscribe

Resources

All Resources

Images

Videos

Activities & Educational Resources

Posters, Stickers, & More

Participate

Participate

Feedback

|

Accessibility

Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
for
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 Selects Students for Europa Clipper Intern Program - NASA Science
Europa ICONS matches students with mentors from the mission’s science team for a 10-week program to conduct original scientific research on topics related to the mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.NASA/JPL-CaltechThe program is planned to run every year until Europa Clipper completes its prime mission in 2034 and is open to applications from all U.S. undergraduate STEM majors, with preference given to students from non-high research activity universities and underserved institutions.ICONS internships may be in-person at the mentor's institution, virtual, or hybrid, depending on the research project and needs of the mentor and intern. As part of the program, students and mentors will convene for a two-day meeting at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The first Europa ICONS internship will run Monday, June 3 through Friday, Aug. 9.The students selected for the Europa ICONS program in 2024 are:Sarah Ruetschle, John Carroll University in University Heights, OhioCole Anderson, University of California, Santa CruzHamza Ouriour, Wentworth Institute of Technology in BostonEthan Piacenti, Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IllinoisJared Bouck, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, ArizonaKayla Blair, Northern Arizona UniversityCarly Davis, McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LouisianaMatthew Perkins, Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, ColoradoAngela Zhang, Cornell University in Ithaca, New YorkArianna Rodriguez Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico–MayaguezBeverly Malugin Ayala, University of Puerto Rico–MayaguezJeansel Johnson-Ayala, University of Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras Akemi Takeuchi, University of Maryland, College ParkSofia Merchant-Dest, University of Maryland Global Campus in AdelphiGradon Robbins, University of Florida in GainesvilleJason Sioeng, California State Polytechnic University, PomonaTyler Yuen, San Jose State University in San Jose, CaliforniaDallin Nelson, Southern Utah University in Cedar CityEric Stinemetz, University of Houston–DowntownLucas Nerbonne, Middlebury College in Middlebury, VermontHope Jerris, Middlebury
Ingredients for Life | Why Europa – NASA's Europa Clipper
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Accessibility

Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
for
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
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 NASA's Europa Clipper will conduct detailed reconnaissance of Jupiter's moon Europa and investigate whether the icy moon could have conditions suitable for life.
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 Using advanced radar imaging that will provide an unprecedented, detailed view of Earth, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR, satellite is designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet's most complex processes.
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A Few Steps Closer to Europa: Spacecraft Hardware Makes Headway – NASA's Europa Clipper
A Few Steps Closer to Europa: Spacecraft Hardware Makes Headway – NASA's Europa Clipper

NASA

Europa Clipper

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August 5, 2021

A Few Steps Closer to Europa: Spacecraft Hardware Makes Headway

Take a closer look at the complex choreography involved in building NASA’s Europa Clipper as the mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa approaches its 2024 launch date.
The hardware that makes up NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is rapidly taking shape, as engineering components and instruments are prepared for delivery to the main clean room at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. In workshops and labs across the country and in Europe, teams are crafting the complex pieces that make up the whole as mission leaders direct the elaborate choreography of building a flagship mission.
The massive 10-foot-tall (3-meter-tall) propulsion module recently moved from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, where engineers will install electronics, radios, antennas, and cabling. The spacecraft’s thick aluminum vault, which will protect Europa Clipper’s electronics from Jupiter’s intense radiation, is nearing completion at JPL. The building and testing of the science instruments at universities and partner institutions across the country continue as well.
The mission is also gearing up for its System Integration Review in late 2021, when NASA will review plans for assembling and testing Europa Clipper, and its instruments are inspected in detail.
“It’s really exciting to see the progression of flight hardware moving forward this year as the various elements are put together bit by bit and tested,” said Europa Clipper Project Manager Jan Chodas of JPL. “The project team is energized and more focused than ever on delivering a spacecraft with an exquisite instrument suite that promises to revolutionize our knowledge of Europa.”
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which harbors an internal ocean with twice the amount of water in Earth’s oceans combined, may currently have conditions suitable for supporting life.
SUDA | Instruments – NASA's Europa Clipper
E-THEMIS

Europa-UVS

MISE

ECM

PIMS

Gravity/Radio Science

REASON

MASPEX

SUDA

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! We need your help to win! Cast your vote for our nomination.

Vote for Us! 'Message in a Bottle' Nominated for a Webby

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

The addition of a high-gain antenna will enable the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft – set to launch in October 2024 – to communicate with mission controllers hundreds of millions of miles away.

NASA's Europa Probe Gets a Hotline to Earth

The short videos take audiences behind the scenes to learn more about how space missions come together.

New Video Series Captures Team Working on NASA's Europa Clipper

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, who is known for work that explores the human connection to the natural world, is crafting a new poem dedicated to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.

A Voice Among the Stars: Poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Will Ride to Europa on NASA Spacecraft

La poetisa laureada estadounidense Ada Limón, conocida por su trabajo que explora la conexión humana con el mundo natural, está escribiendo un nuevo poema dedicado a la misión Europa Clipper de la NASA.

Una voz entre las estrellas: Poema de la poetisa laureada estadounidense Ada Limón viajará a Europa en una nave espacial de la NASA