
Europa Clipper Explores an Icy Ocean World (Artist's Concept)
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft as it orbits Jupiter and passes over the gas giant's ice-covered moon Europa. Scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in April 2030, the mission will be the first to specifically target Europa for detailed science investigation. Europa Clipper's three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon's icy shell and its 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. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26444