Europa Clipper Approaches Its Target (Artist's Concept)

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft approaching Jupiter and its icy moon Europa. Scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in April 2030, Europa Clipper will orbit the gas giant, and will be the first mission 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/PIA26445