Virtual image of Europa Clipper / Photo = NASA’s unmanned spacecraft ‘Europa Clipper’ has been launched to find out if life can survive on Jupiter’s satellite Europa.
According to NASA on the 6th, the spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Space
The purpose of this spacecraft is to conduct a detailed investigation to find out if Europa has conditions suitable for life. The spacecraft will travel approximately 2.9 billion km over the five and a half years since it left Earth, entering Jupiter’s orbit in April 2030, and flying close to Europa to study Europa’s environment. to study.
The plan is to circle around 50 hours at an altitude of 25 km above the surface, the closest distance to Europa, and fly continuously to different locations to scan most of the satellite. This probe is equipped with a camera, spectrometer, and ice-penetrating radar to take high-resolution images of Europa’s surface and thin atmosphere and create maps.
In addition, the mission will carry a total of nine instruments, including a magnetometer and gravity meter to find clues about the ocean and its deep interior, and a heat meter to measure the temperature of the ice. to determine and location of recent water eruptions.
Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft ever developed by NASA for planetary exploration missions. This spacecraft was equipped with a large solar charging panel because it had to fly in the Jupiter system, which is more than five times the distance from the Sun to Earth. The height of the spacecraft is 5m and the total length is 30.5m, which is longer than the length of a basketball court (28m).
Jupiter’s satellite Europa has an equatorial diameter of 3,100 km and is 90% the size of the Moon, making it the sixth largest satellite in the Solar System. Scientists have estimated that there is a salty ocean below the ice layer 15 to 25 km long on the surface of Europa, possibly providing an environment suitable for life.
Reporter Kang Kyung-ju qurasoha@hankyung.com
