by NASAUS
Find out whether the ocean under Europa's ice could support life, by measuring the ice shell, the ocean, surface chemistry and any plumes.
Cruising to Jupiter; Earth gravity-assist flyby on Dec 3, 2026, arrival April 2030.
Updated 1 Aug 2025Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
Orbiting Europa would expose the craft to Jupiter's worst radiation. It orbits Jupiter instead and swoops past Europa, limiting time in that zone.
The REASON radar sends radio waves into the ice shell and times their echoes to find layers and pockets of water, and how thick the ice is.
Jupiter's changing magnetic field induces currents in a salty ocean. The magnetometer measures that response to estimate ocean depth and saltiness.
Mass spectrometers sample particles and gas knocked off the surface or vented in plumes, to identify salts and organic compounds.
| Spec | Europa Clipper |
|---|---|
| Launch mass | About 6,000 kgR (reported) |
| Solar array span | 30.5 mR (reported) |
| Science instruments | 9 (82 kg)R (reported) |
| Planned Europa flybys | 49, as low as 25 kmR (reported) |
| Radiation vault | 150 kg, aluminium-zinc wallsR (reported) |
| Mission cost (to 2034) | $5.2BR (reported) |
R reported by the company
NASA
Space exploration, aeronautics, government research
U.S. federal agency for civilian space exploration and aerospace research. NASA builds spacecraft (Orion for crewed Moon missions), rockets (SLS), and aircraft (X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator) for scientific discovery.
