JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Europa Clipper Spacecraft (Illustration)

April 1, 2021
NASA’s Europa Clipper, depicted in this illustration, will carry a broad suite of instruments into orbit around Jupiter and conduct multiple close flybys of Europa to gather information on its atmosphere, surface, and interior.

This illustration, updated in December 2020, depicts NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft. With an internal global ocean twice the size of Earth's oceans combined, Jupiter's moon Europa may have the potential to harbor life. The Europa Clipper orbiter will swoop around Jupiter on an elliptical path, dipping close to the moon on each flyby to collect data. The mission will gather measurements of the internal ocean, map the surface geology and composition, and hunt for plumes of water vapor that may be venting from the icy crust.

Understanding Europa's habitability will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our planet. Europa Clipper is aiming for a launch readiness date of 2024.

More information about Europa and Europa Clipper can be found here: europa.nasa.gov.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Target
  • Europa
Spacecraft
  • Europa Clipper
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep Exploring

Examining the Radio Frequency Panel of NASA's Europa Clipper

NASA Begins Assembly of Europa Clipper Spacecraft

Standing Tall: Europa Clipper's High-Gain Antenna

NASA's Europa Clipper's Ultraviolet Spectrograph Is Delivered

Europa Clipper's Propulsion Module

Building a Nadir Deck for Europa Clipper

The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) Science Instrument

Final Stretch for Europa Clipper's Nadir Deck

Europa Clipper Propulsion Module: Integration Underway

Europa Clipper: High-Gain Antenna Under Construction

Related Topic

News .

Engineers Investigating NASA’s Voyager 1 Telemetry Data

News .

NASA’s InSight Still Hunting Marsquakes as Power Levels Diminish

News .

NASA to Provide Update on InSight Mars Lander

News .

Science at Sunrise: Solving the Mystery of Frost Hiding on Mars

News .

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Scouts Ridgeline for Perseverance Science Team

News .

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Spots Gear That Helped Perseverance Rover Land

News .

Greenland Ice, Jupiter Moon Share Similar Feature

News .

NASA Extends Exploration for 8 Planetary Science Missions

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Captures Video of Solar Eclipse on Mars

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Arrives at Delta for New Science Campaign

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono