Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
Hubble Space Telescope Home NASA’s Hubble Watches… Missions Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts E-books Lithographs Fact Sheets Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More Online Activities 4 Min Read NASA’s Hubble Watches Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Behave Like a Stress Ball
Hubble Space Telescope data of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot spanning approximately 90 days. Credits:
NASA, ESA, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) Astronomers have observed Jupiter’s legendary Great Red Spot (GRS), an anticyclone large enough to swallow Earth, for at least 150 years. But there are always new surprises – especially when NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope takes a close-up look at it.
Hubble’s new observations of the famous red storm, collected 90 days between December 2023 to March 2024, reveal that the GRS is not as stable as it might look. The recent data show the GRS jiggling like a bowl of gelatin. The combined Hubble images allowed astronomers to assemble a time-lapse movie of the squiggly behavior of the GRS.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video
This time-lapse movie is assembled from Hubble Space Telescope observations spanning approximately 90 days (between December 2023 and March 2024) when the giant planet Jupiter ranged from 391 million to 512 million miles from the Sun. Astronomers measured the Great Red Spot’s size, shape, brightness, color, and vorticity over a full oscillation cycle. The data reveal that the Great Red Spot is not as stable as it might look. It was observed going through an oscillation in its elliptical shape, jiggling like a bowl of gelatin. The cause of the 90-day oscillation is unknown. NASA, ESA, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC); Video: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Download this video
“While we knew its motion varies slightly in its longitude, we didn’t expect to see the size oscillate. As far as we know, it’s not been identified before,” said Amy Simon of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, lead author of the science paper published in The Planetary Science Journal. “This is really the first time we’ve had the proper imaging cadence of the GRS. With Hubble’s high resolution we can say that the GRS is definitively squeezing in and out at the same time as it moves faster and slower. That was very unexpected, and at present there are no hydrodynamic explanations.”
Hubble monitors Jupiter and the other outer solar system planets every year through the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program (OPAL) led by Simon, but these observations were from a program dedicated to the GRS. Understanding the mechanisms of the largest storms in the solar system puts the theory of hurricanes on Earth into a broader cosmic context, which might be applied to better understanding the meteorology on planets around other stars.
Using Hubble Space Telescope data spanning approximately 90 days (between December 2023 and March 2024) when the giant planet Jupiter ranged from 391 million to 512 million miles from the Sun, astronomers measured the Great Red Spot’s size, shape, brightness, color, and vorticity over one full oscillation cycle. The data reveal that the Great Red Spot is not as stable as it might look. It was observed going through an oscillation in its elliptical shape, jiggling like a bowl of gelatin. The cause of the 90-day oscillation is unknown. NASA, ESA, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Download this image
Simon’s team used Hubble to zoom in on the GRS for a detailed look at its size, shape, and any subtle color changes. “When we look closely, we see a lot of things are changing from day to day,” said Simon. This includes ultraviolet-light observations showing that the distinct core of the storm gets brightest when the GRS is at its largest size in its oscillation cycle. This indicates less haze absorption in the upper atmosphere.
“As it accelerates and decelerates, the GRS is pushing against the windy jet streams to the north and south of it,” said co-investigator Mike Wong of the University of California at Berkeley. “It’s similar to a sandwich where the slices of bread are forced to bulge out when there’s too much filling in the middle.” Wong contrasted this to Neptune, where dark spots can drift wildly in latitude without strong jet streams to hold them in place. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been held at a southern latitude, trapped between the jet streams, for the extent of Earth-bound telescopic observations.
Using Hubble Space Telescope data spanning approximately 90 days (between December 2023 and March 2024) when the giant planet Jupiter ranged from 391 million to 512 million miles from the Sun, astronomers measured the Great Red Spot’s size, shape, brightness, color, and vorticity over a full oscillation cycle. The data reveal that the Great Red Spot is not as stable as it might look. It was observed going through an oscillation in its elliptical shape, jiggling like a bowl of gelatin. The cause of the 90-day oscillation is unknown. The observation is part of the observing programs led by Amy Simon of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA, ESA, STScI, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Download this image
The team has continued watching the GRS shrink since the OPAL program began 10 years ago. They predict it will keep shrinking before taking on a stable, less-elongated, shape. “Right now it’s over-filling its latitude band relative to the wind field. Once it shrinks inside that band the winds will really be holding it in place,” said Simon. The team predicts that the GRS will probably stabilize in size, but for now Hubble only observed it for one oscillation cycle.
The researchers hope that in the future other high-resolution images from Hubble might identify other Jovian parameters that indicate the underlying cause of the oscillation.
The results are being presented at the 56th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences, in Boise, Idaho.
Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth, has fascinated astronomers for over 150 years. But thanks to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, we’re now seeing this legendary storm in a whole new light. Recent observations show that the Great Red Spot is wobbling and fluctuating in size.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Lead Producer: Paul Morris The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, Colorado, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
Learn More
Hubble Shows Winds in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Are Speeding Up
Telescopes and Spacecraft Join Forces to Probe Deep into Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Hubble’s Grand Tour of the Outer Solar System
Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contacts:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
Science Contacts:
Amy Simon
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Michael H. Wong
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 09, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Jupiter Missions Planetary Science Planets The Solar System Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
Studying the Outer Planets and Moons
Hubble Focus: Our Amazing Solar System
Studying the cosmos for over a quarter century, the Hubble Space Telescope has made more than a million observations and…
Hubble Posters
View the full article
-
By NASA
Concepto artístico de la nave espacial Europa Clipper de la NASA.
Créditos: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Read this release in English here.
La NASA ofrecerá cobertura en directo, en inglés y en español, de las actividades previas al lanzamiento y del lanzamiento de Europa Clipper, la misión de la agencia para explorar Europa, una luna helada de Júpiter. La cobertura del lanzamiento se ofrecerá también en español. La NASA prevé que el lanzamiento se dé a las 12:31 p.m. EDT (hora del este) del jueves, 10 de octubre, a bordo de un cohete SpaceX Falcon Heavy desde el Complejo de Lanzamiento 39A en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida.
Más allá de la Tierra, Europa, una luna de Júpiter, es considerada uno de los entornos con más potencial para la habitabilidad del sistema solar. Tras un viaje de aproximadamente 1.800 millones de millas (unos 2.900 millones de kilómetros), Europa Clipper entrará en órbita alrededor de Júpiter en abril de 2030. Desde ahí, la nave espacial llevará a cabo un estudio detallado de Europa para determinar si este mundo helado podría presentar condiciones adecuadas para la vida. Europa Clipper es la mayor nave espacial que la NASA ha desarrollado para una misión planetaria. Transporta un conjunto de nueve instrumentos y un experimento gravitatorio, los cuales investigarán un océano bajo la superficie de Europa que los científicos creen que contiene el doble de agua líquida que los océanos de la Tierra.
Para consultar el calendario de eventos en directo y las plataformas en las que se retransmitirán, visita:
https://go.nasa.gov/europaclipperlive
El plazo para la acreditación de los medios de comunicación para la cobertura presencial de este lanzamiento ya finalizó. La política de acreditación de medios de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). Si tienes preguntas sobre la acreditación de los medios de comunicación, envía un correo electrónico a: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
La cobertura de la misión de la NASA es la siguiente (todas las horas son del este y están sujetas a cambios en función de las operaciones a tiempo real):
Martes, 8 de octubre
1 p.m. – Entrevistas presenciales, abiertas a los medios de comunicación acreditados para este lanzamiento.
3:30 p.m. – Sesión informativa científica de Europa Clipper de la NASA con los siguientes participantes:
Gina DiBraccio, directora en funciones, División de Ciencias Planetarias, Sede de la NASA Robert Pappalardo, científico de proyecto, Europa Clipper, Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro de la NASA (NASA JPL) Haje Korth, científico adjunto de proyecto, Europa Clipper, Laboratorio de Física Aplicada de la Universidad Johns Hopkins Cynthia Phillips, científica de proyecto, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL La cobertura de la conferencia de prensa científica se retransmitirá en directo en NASA+ y en el sitio web de la agencia, Aprende cómo ver contenidos de la NASA a través de diversas plataformas, incluidas las redes sociales.
Los representantes de los medios de comunicación podrán formular preguntas tanto presencialmente como por teléfono. El espacio disponible en el auditorio para la participación en persona será limitado. Para obtener el número de teléfono y el código de acceso a la conferencia, los medios de comunicación deberán ponerse en contacto con la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy a más tardar una hora antes del comienzo del acto: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Miércoles, 9 de octubre
2 p.m. – Panel social del NASA Social en el centro Kennedy, con los siguientes participantes:
Kate Calvin, científica jefe y asesora principal sobre el clima, sede de la NASA Caley Burke, analista de diseño de vuelos, Programa de Servicios de Lanzamiento de la NASA Erin Leonard, científica del proyecto Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Juan Pablo León, ingeniero de banco de pruebas de sistemas, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL (León es hispanohablante) Elizabeth Turtle, investigadora principal, instrumento de sistema de imágenes de Europa, Europa Clipper, APL Esta mesa redonda se transmitirá en directo a través de las cuentas de la NASA en YouTube, X y Facebook. Los miembros del público pueden hacer preguntas en línea publicando en las transmisiones en vivo de YouTube, X y Facebook o usando el hashtag #AskNASA.
3:30 p.m. – Conferencia de prensa de la NASA previa al lanzamiento de Europa Clipper (tras la finalización de la revisión del estado de preparación para el lanzamiento), con los siguientes participantes:
Administrador asociado de la NASA Jim Free Sandra Connelly, administradora adjunta, Dirección de Misiones Científicas, Sede de la NASA Tim Dunn, director de lanzamiento, Programa de Servicios de Lanzamiento de la NASA Julianna Scheiman, directora para misiones científicas de la NASA, SpaceX Jordan Evans, gerente de proyecto, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Mike McAleenan, meteorólogo de lanzamiento, 45º Escuadrón Meteorológico, Fuerza Espacial de EE.UU. La conferencia de prensa previa al lanzamiento se retransmitirá en directo en NASA+, el sitio web de la agencia, la aplicación de la NASA, y YouTube.
Los representantes de los medios de comunicación podrán formular preguntas tanto presencialmente como por teléfono. El espacio disponible en el auditorio para la participación en persona será limitado. Para obtener el número de teléfono y el código de acceso a la conferencia, los medios de comunicación deberán ponerse en contacto con la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy a más tardar una hora antes del comienzo del acto: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
5:30 p.m. – Transmisión del despliegue de Europa Clipper de la NASA a la plataforma de lanzamiento. La retransmisión en vivo (en inglés) estará disponible en NASA+, el sitio web de la agencia, la aplicación de la NASA, y YouTube.
Jueves, 10 de octubre
11:30 a.m. – La cobertura en inglés del lanzamiento empezará en NASA+ y el el sitio web de la agencia.
11:30 a.m. – La cobertura en español del lanzamiento empezará en NASA+ y el canal de YouTube en español de la NASA.
12:31 p.m. – Lanzamiento.
Cobertura de audio
El audio de las conferencias de prensa y de la cobertura del lanzamiento, ambos en inglés, se transmitirá por los circuitos «V» de la NASA, a los que se puede acceder marcando 321-867-1220, -1240 o -7135. El día del lanzamiento, el «audio de la misión», es decir, las actividades de la cuenta atrás sin los comentarios de los medios de NASA+ sobre el lanzamiento, se retransmitirá por el 321-867-7135.
Cobertura de vídeo en directo previa al lanzamiento
La NASA proporcionará una conexión de vídeo en directo del Complejo de Lanzamiento 39A aproximadamente 18 horas antes del despegue previsto de la misión en el canal de YouTube de la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy. La transmisión será ininterrumpida hasta que comience la emisión del lanzamiento en NASA+.
Cobertura del lanzamiento en el sitio web de la NASA
La cobertura de la misión el día del lanzamiento estará disponible en el sitio web de la agencia. La cobertura incluirá enlaces a retransmisiones en directo (en español e inglés) y actualizaciones del blog que comenzarán no antes de las 10 a.m. del 10 de octubre, a medida que se cumplan los hitos de la cuenta regresiva. Poco después del despegue se podrá acceder a vídeos y fotos del lanzamiento en streaming a demanda.
Siga la cobertura de la cuenta regresiva en el blog de Europa Clipper (en inglés). Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la cobertura de la cuenta atrás, póngase en contacto con la sala de prensa Kennedy llamando al 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con María José Viñas: maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov, Antonia Jaramillo: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o Messod Bendayan: messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov
Asistencia virtual al lanzamiento
Los miembros del público pueden registrarse para asistir virtualmente a este lanzamiento. El programa de invitados virtuales (en inglés) de la NASA para esta misión también incluye recursos curados de lanzamiento, notificaciones sobre oportunidades o cambios relacionados, y un sello para el pasaporte de invitado virtual de la NASA después del lanzamiento.
Observación y participación en redes sociales
Haz que la gente sepa que estás siguiendo la misión en X, Facebook e Instagram utilizando los hashtags #EuropaClipper y #NASASocial. También puedes mantenerte conectado siguiendo y etiquetando estas cuentas:
X: @NASA, @EuropaClipper, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAJPL, @NASAKennedy, @NASA_LSP, @NASA_ES (en español)
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Europa Clipper, NASA’s JPL, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA en español
Instagram: @NASA, @nasasolarsystem, @NASAKennedy, @NASAJPL, @NASA_ES (en español)
Para más información en español sobre la misión:
https://ciencia.nasa.gov/europaclipper
-fin-
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser/ María José Viñas
Sede, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser.nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov
Leejay Lockhart
Centro Espacial Kennedy, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 LocationKennedy Space Center Related Terms
Missions Europa Europa Clipper Jupiter Jupiter Moons View the full article
-
By NASA
An artist’s concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.
NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for Europa Clipper, the agency’s mission to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. NASA is targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 10, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Beyond Earth, Jupiter’s moon Europa is considered one of the solar system’s most promising potentially habitable environments. After an approximately 1.8-billion-mile journey, Europa Clipper will enter orbit around Jupiter in April 2030, where the spacecraft will conduct a detailed survey of Europa to determine whether the icy world could have conditions suitable for life. Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. It carries a suite of nine instruments along with a gravity experiment that will investigate an ocean beneath Europa’s surface, which scientists believe contains twice as much liquid water as Earth’s oceans.
For a schedule of live events and the platforms they’ll stream on, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/europaclipperlive
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. NASA’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Tuesday, Oct. 8
1 p.m. – In-person, one-on-one interviews, open to media credentialed for this launch.
3:30 p.m. – NASA’s Europa Clipper science briefing with the following participants:
Gina DiBraccio, acting director, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters Robert Pappalardo, project scientist, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Haje Korth, deputy project scientist, Europa Clipper, Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Cynthia Phillips, project staff scientist, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Coverage of the science news conference will stream live on NASA+ and the agency’s website, Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
2 p.m. – NASA Social panel at NASA Kennedy with the following participants:
Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor, NASA Headquarters Caley Burke, Flight Design Analyst, NASA’s Launch Services Program Erin Leonard, project staff scientist, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Juan Pablo León, systems testbed engineer, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Elizabeth Turtle, principal investigator, Europa Imaging System instrument, Europa Clipper, APL The panel will stream live on NASA Kennedy’s YouTube, X, and Facebook accounts. Members of the public may ask questions online by posting to the YouTube, X, and Facebook live streams or using #AskNASA.
3:30 p.m. – NASA’s Europa Clipper prelaunch news conference (following completion of the Launch Readiness Review), with the following participants:
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Sandra Connelly, deputy associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science Missions, SpaceX Jordan Evans, project manager, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force Coverage of the prelaunch news conference will stream live on NASA+, the agency’s website, the NASA app, and YouTube.
Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
5:30 p.m. – NASA’s Europa Clipper rollout show. Coverage will stream live on NASA+, the agency’s website, the NASA app, and YouTube.
Thursday, Oct. 10
11:30 a.m. – NASA launch coverage in English begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
11:30 a.m. – NASA launch coverage in Spanish begins on NASA+, the agency’s website and NASA’s Spanish YouTube channel.
12:31 p.m. – Launch
Audio Only Coverage
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA+ media launch commentary, is carried on 321-867-7135.
Live Video Coverage Prior to Launch
NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately 18 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the mission on the NASA Kennedy newsroom YouTube channel. The feed will be uninterrupted until the launch broadcast begins on NASA+.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include links to live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 10 a.m., Oct. 10, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff.
Follow countdown coverage on the Europa Clipper blog. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o Messod Bendayan: messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov
Attend the Launch Virtually
Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.
Watch, Engage on Social Media
Let people know you’re following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #EuropaClipper and #NASASocial. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:
X: @NASA, @EuropaClipper, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAJPL, @NASAKennedy, @NASA_LSP
Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Europa Clipper, NASA’s JPL, NASA’s Launch Services Program
Instagram: @NASA, @nasasolarsystem, @NASAKennedy, @NASAJPL
For more information about the mission, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper
-end-
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser.nasa.gov
Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 LocationKennedy Space Center Related Terms
Europa Clipper Europa Jupiter Jupiter Moons Missions View the full article
-
-
By NASA
6 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter. The mission is targeting an Oct. 10, 2024, launch.NASA/JPL-Caltech The first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth, Europa Clipper aims to find out if the ice-encased moon Europa could be habitable.
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, the largest the agency has ever built for a planetary mission, will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Europa, an intriguing icy moon of Jupiter. The spacecraft’s launch period opens Thursday, Oct. 10.
Learn more about how NASA’s Europa Clipper came together – and how it will explore an ocean moon of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Data from previous NASA missions has provided scientists with strong evidence that an enormous salty ocean lies underneath the frozen surface of the moon. Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and conduct 49 close flybys of the moon to gather data needed to determine whether there are places below its thick frozen crust that could support life.
Here are eight things to know about the mission:
1. Europa is one of the most promising places to look for currently habitable conditions beyond Earth.
There’s scientific evidence that the ingredients for life — water, the right chemistry, and energy — may exist at Europa right now. This mission will gather the information scientists need to find out for sure. The moon may hold an internal ocean with twice the water of Earth’s oceans combined, and it may also host organic compounds and energy sources under its surface. If the mission determines that Europa is habitable, it would mean there may be more habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond than we have imagined.
2. The spacecraft will fly through one of the most punishing radiation environments in our solar system — second only to the Sun’s.
Jupiter is surrounded by a gigantic magnetic field 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s. As the field spins, it captures and accelerates charged particles, creating radiation that can damage spacecraft. Mission engineers designed a spacecraft vault to shield sensitive electronics from radiation, and they plotted orbits that will limit the time Europa Clipper spends in most radiation-heavy areas around Jupiter.
3. Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter, studying Europa while flying by the moon dozens of times.
The spacecraft will make looping orbits around Jupiter that bring it close to Europa for 49 science-dedicated flybys. On each orbit, the spacecraft will spend less than a day in Jupiter’s dangerous radiation zone near Europa before zipping back out. Two to three weeks later, it will repeat the process, making another flyby.
4. Europa Clipper features NASA’s most sophisticated suite of science instruments yet.
To determine if Europa is habitable, Europa Clipper must assess the moon’s interior, composition, and geology. The spacecraft carries nine science instruments and a gravity experiment that uses the telecommunications system. In order to obtain the best science during each flyby, all the science instruments will operate simultaneously on every pass. Scientists will then layer the data together to paint a full picture of the moon.
5. With antennas and solar arrays fully deployed, Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.
The spacecraft extends 100 feet (30.5 meters) from one end to the other and about 58 feet (17.6 meters) across. That’s bigger than a basketball court, thanks in large part to the solar arrays, which need to be huge so they can collect enough sunlight while near Jupiter to power the instruments, electronics, and other subsystems.
6. It’s a long journey to Jupiter.
Jupiter is on average some 480 million miles (about 770 million kilometers) from Earth; both planets are in motion, and a spacecraft can carry only a limited amount of fuel. Mission planners are sending Europa Clipper past Mars and then Earth, using the planets’ gravity as a slingshot to add speed to the spacecraft’s trek. After journeying about 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) over 5½ years, the spacecraft will fire its engines to enter orbit around Jupiter in 2030.
7. Institutions across the U.S. and Europe have contributed to Europa Clipper.
Currently, about a thousand people work on the mission, including more than 220 scientists from both the U.S. and Europe. Since the mission was officially approved in 2015, more than 4,000 people have contributed to Europa Clipper, including teams who work for contractors and subcontractors.
8. More than 2.6 million of us are riding along with the spacecraft, bringing greetings from one water world to another.
As part of a mission campaign called “Message in a Bottle,” the spacecraft is carrying a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, cosigned by millions of people from nearly every country in the world. Their names have been stenciled onto a microchip attached to a tantalum metal plate that seals the spacecraft’s electronics vault. The plate also features waveforms of people saying the word “water” in over 100 spoken languages.
More About Europa Clipper
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.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.
NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
Find more information about Europa here:
https://europa.nasa.gov
Europa Clipper Teachable Moment See Europa’s Chaos Terrain in Crisp Detail Europa Clipper Gets Its Super-Size Solar Arrays News Media Contacts
Gretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-6215
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2024-125
Share
Details
Last Updated Sep 17, 2024 Related Terms
Europa Clipper Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jupiter The Solar System Explore More
4 min read NASA’s Artemis II Crew Uses Iceland Terrain for Lunar Training
At first glance, it seems like a scene from an excursion on the Moon’s surface…except…
Article 4 days ago 3 min read NASA to Develop Lunar Time Standard for Exploration Initiatives
Article 5 days ago 23 min read The Next Full Moon is a Partial Lunar Eclipse; a Supermoon; the Corn Moon; and the Harvest Moon
The next full Moon will be Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 10:35 PM EDT. The…
Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
Missions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.