Europa Clipper
On its way to Jupiter, the probe will fly by the moon Europa dozens of times to assess whether its hidden ocean could be habitable.
Objective
Determine whether Europa brings together the ingredients for life: liquid water, energy and chemical elements. The probe does not look for life directly: it assesses habitability, an essential scientific distinction.
Mission profile
Simplified diagram of the main phases.
Challenges & risks
The mission's vocabulary
The capacity of an environment to bring together the conditions necessary for life, without implying its presence.
A measurable clue that could reveal biological activity.
A maneuver using a body's gravity to change speed and trajectory.
The questions everyone asks
No: it assesses Europa's habitability, not the presence of life itself.
Jupiter is very far away; the probe uses gravity assists to gain speed.
It is suspected to hold an ocean of liquid water beneath the ice, possibly in contact with a rocky seafloor.
The confirmed elements of the mission (architecture, primary objectives).
The upcoming schedule and milestones, subject to technical qualifications.
The developments dependent on other building blocks of the program.