Europa, a NASA spacecraft named after the Jupiter moon it will study, could launch as soon as mid-October, beginning the journey to reveal if this suspected waterworld might support life.
Scientists have honed in on Europa as among the most interesting moons in Jupiter’s orbit.
Research and observations by other spacecraft suggest it’s highly likely Europa hosts a global liquid ocean under its icy crust that may hold the elements needed to support life.
NASA’S HUBBLE TELESCOPE CAPTURES JUPITER’S GIANT STORMS SWIRLING Most recently, scientists with NASA’s Juno mission, orbiting Jupiter, found that Europa produces much more oxygen than some previous estimates.
NASA selected the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to launch the Europa spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Jovian moon no earlier than Oct. 10.
The spacecraft has a suite of nine science instruments, including cameras and ice-penetrating radar, to help look beneath Europa’s hard exterior and see if the world could have the elements to support life.
According to NASA, there is strong evidence Europa’s crust may contain a volume of water twice the volume of Earth’s oceans combined.
Europa mission managers recently learned of a potential flaw in some of the spacecraft’s parts that might not withstand the intense radiation of the Jovian system.
NASA said an analysis of the testing “suggests the transistors can support the baseline mission.”
On Sept. 9, NASA will conduct a final review to determine if the spacecraft can proceed to launch.
As early as mid-October, the NASA spacecraft Europa—named after the Jupiter moon it will explore—may lift off, starting the mission to determine whether life exists on this possible waterworld.
Jupiter, the gas giant planet, has more satellites than any other planet in our solar system, with 95 moons, each with its own distinct geology and features. One of Jupiter’s moons that has captured the attention of scientists is Europa. Under its icy crust, Europa most likely has a global liquid ocean that may contain the elements necessary to support life, according to research and observations made by other spacecraft.
NASA’s Hubble Telescope records Jupiter’s massive storms as they swirl.
The Juno mission of NASA, which is orbiting Jupiter, has revealed to scientists that Europa produces a significantly higher amount of oxygen than previously thought. A million people could survive on oxygen alone for a day thanks to the 1,000 tons of oxygen that are released from the moon’s surface every 24 hours, according to a study published in Nature Astronomy.
To launch the Europa spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Jovian moon no earlier than October, the space agency chose to use SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. 10. . A launch date will be revealed later this month by SpaceX and NASA.
In order to peer beneath Europa’s icy surface and determine whether the planet could harbor life, the spacecraft is equipped with a suite of nine scientific instruments, such as cameras and ice-penetrating radar. Strong evidence suggests that the volume of water in Europa’s crust may be twice that of Earth’s oceans combined, according to NASA.
The turbulent flight of the Boeing Starliner is scheduled to end when it departs Space Station without astronauts.
The investigation into a potential issue with radiation exposure for spacecraft hardware is still ongoing, so the launch date may still change.
One danger of deep space travel is radiation, particularly in the Jupiter system. Recently, managers overseeing the Europa mission discovered a possible weakness in a few spacecraft components that could not withstand the intense radiation of the Jovian system.
Testing was done to see if these components would cause a delay in the mission by teams at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
Analyses of the testing “indicates the transistors can support the baseline mission,” according to NASA. “. .
On Sept. 9. In order to decide whether the spacecraft can launch, NASA will carry out a last examination.
