Europa

Europa Clipper Begins Odyssey to Assess Jovian Moon’s Habitability

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft today began its six-year cruise to the Jupiter system, with the goal of determining whether one…

4 weeks ago

Is There a Low-Radiation Path To Europa?

Any mission to Jupiter and its moons must contend with the gas giant's overwhelming radiation. Only a judicious orbital pattern…

2 months ago

Juno Reveals Secrets About Europa’s Icy Surface

Europa has always held a fascination to me. I think it’s the concept of a world with a sub-surface ocean…

6 months ago

If Europa has Geysers, They’re Very Faint

In 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted water vapour on Jupiter's moon Europa. The vapour was evidence of plumes similar…

7 months ago

Testing a Probe that Could Drill into an Ice World

I remember reading about an audacious mission to endeavour to drill through the surface ice of Europa, drop in a…

7 months ago

Europa Might Not Be Able to Support Life in its Oceans

Can Europa’s massive, interior ocean contain the building blocks of life, and even support life as we know it? This…

8 months ago

What Can Europa’s Surface Tell Us About the Thickness of Its Ice?

You can tell a lot about a planetary body just by looking at its surface, especially if it has craters.…

8 months ago

This is Europa Clipper’s Version of the Golden Record

The Voyager spacecraft carried on board a plethora of scientific instruments but attached to the side was a golden record.…

8 months ago

Juno Measures How Much Oxygen is Being Produced by Europa

If the periodic table listed the elements in order of their importance to life, then oxygen might bully its way…

8 months ago

Fly Slowly Through Enceladus' Plumes to Detect Life

Enceladus is blasting water into space from the jets at its southern pole. This makes it the ideal place to…

11 months ago