We're finally going to Jupiter!

After the long planning, NASA's mission to Jupiter's moon Europa is finally shaping up, with NASA approving the selection of scientific instruments that the spacecraft will carry: www.jpl.nasa.gov...

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 fiscal year 2016 budget request includes $30 million to formulate a mission to Europa. The mission would send a solar-powered spacecraft into a long, looping orbit around the gas giant Jupiter to perform repeated close flybys of Europa over a three-year period. In total, the mission would perform 45 flybys at altitudes ranging from 16 miles to 1,700 miles (25 kilometers to 2,700 kilometers).

The payload of selected science instruments includes cameras and spectrometers to produce high-resolution images of Europa's surface and determine its composition. An ice penetrating radar will determine the thickness of the moon's icy shell and search for subsurface lakes similar to those beneath Antarctica. The mission also will carry a magnetometer to measure strength and direction of the moon's magnetic field, which will allow scientists to determine the depth and salinity of its ocean.

A thermal instrument will scour Europa's frozen surface in search of recent eruptions of warmer water, while additional instruments will search for evidence of water and tiny particles in the moon's thin atmosphere.

The mission is called Europa Clipper, the name being a reference to the lightweight clipper ships of the 19th century that routinely plied trade routes around the world.

Here's the video briefing where JPL talk about the mission, the instruments, and science that they're looking forward to achieving: www.youtube.com...



The estimated launch is in 2025, which is after the proposed ESA's JUICE mission lanuch in 2022. But we'll see what happens and who gets there first.

Those brown stipes on Europa are one of the main subjects of research for this mission. But in a cool recent experiment using table salt that was irradiated in a vacuum, they found that it turns brownish yellow, and has similar spectroscopic signature as the brown lines on Europa: www.jpl.nasa.gov...



It's even more evidence towards Europa having an underground salty ocean!

a reply to: wildespace

This will be cool! I have been wanting to get outta town and am thinking of being a stowaway... Might lead to a real life maybe? LOL!! Seriously though, this is neat... Syx...

a reply to: residentofearth

LOL Yes I did take that wrong at first.. It's all good now! Thanx!

a reply to: wildespace

I see the launch date is 2025, but I didn't see anywhere in the article what the ETA is. Curious how long it will take to get to Europa. Will NASA be using it's new "Warp Drive"?

Nice find OP!

We've had a five man team (U.S. Navy) there for several years now. It's nice to finally go public with it.

originally posted by: thestillborn1
We've had a five man team (U.S. Navy) there for several years now. It's nice to finally go public with it.

How would you know that?

originally posted by: greencmp

originally posted by: EA006

originally posted by: greencmp

originally posted by: residentofearth
a reply to: SyxPak

So US going to ruin another Europe?

Sorry, we meant to leave Hitler in power, our bad.

Remove him from power all by yourselves did you......

We thought about allying ourselves with him but, that slot has already been taken.

Had been or has been?

originally posted by: EA006

originally posted by: greencmp

originally posted by: EA006

originally posted by: greencmp

originally posted by: residentofearth
a reply to: SyxPak

So US going to ruin another Europe?

Sorry, we meant to leave Hitler in power, our bad.

Remove him from power all by yourselves did you......

We thought about allying ourselves with him but, that slot has already been taken.

Had been or has been?

a reply to: wildespace

What about the Juno mission? It's set to arrive at Jupiter next year:

Juno is a NASA New Frontiers mission to the planet Jupiter. Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011 and will arrive in July 2016. Wikipedia

a reply to: wildespace
WTF happened to your thread?

Anyways back on topic-

I had hoped that Bill Stone would be onboard this mission,as he was a few years back with the "DepthX"project,but its not to be by the looks of it.
He wanted to drop ice melting autonomous robots which would travel into the oceans of Europa,under the ice,to video and 3d map the terrain(and any possible lifeforms).
en.wikipedia.org...

NASA have instead gone for the less ambitious project of sending a probe to orbit Europa and collect various data.
Probably has a higher chance of sucess,but Bill Stone's idea would have been cooler to see IMO.
Oh well,this is still pretty amazing.

originally posted by: lostbook
a reply to: wildespace

What about the Juno mission? It's set to arrive at Jupiter next year:

Juno is a NASA New Frontiers mission to the planet Jupiter. Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011 and will arrive in July 2016. Wikipedia

Isn't Europa exploration part of the Juno mission to explore Jupiter?