NASA's Europa Clipper mission has launched to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, aiming to determine if its vast subsurface ocean can support life. The spacecraft will fly 1.8 billion miles, conducting 49 flybys of the icy moon to gather critical data on its potential habitability.
NASA launched its Europa Clipper spacecraft from Florida on Monday to investigate whether Jupiter's moon Europa could support life, particularly focusing on its subsurface ocean beneath an icy outer shell.
The spacecraft, launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, is expected to orbit Jupiter by 2030 after a 1.8 billion-mile journey. Europa Clipper is NASA's largest planetary spacecraft, at about 100 feet long and 58 feet wide with antennas and solar arrays, weighing around 13,000 pounds.
Europa, smaller than Earth but rich in water, may contain twice as much water as Earth's oceans beneath a thick icy layer.
NASA's Jim Free emphasized that Europa has one of the best environments for potential habitability in our solar system, although the mission won't search for life directly.
Sandra Connelly added that the moon has "water, energy, chemistry, and stability," crucial conditions for supporting life. The mission aims to study the internal ocean, map the surface, and look for water vapor plumes. Europa Clipper will complete 49 close flybys starting in 2031.
Facing intense radiation from Jupiter's magnetic field, Europa Clipper's electronics will be protected by a titanium-aluminum vault. The spacecraft will fly by Mars and Earth to gain momentum before reaching Jupiter, with solar arrays providing power for its nine instruments and subsystems.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after a nine-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS), landing in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Tuesday following prolonged delays due to technical failures on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally heading back to Earth after spending nine unexpected months aboard the ISS due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner. Their long-awaited return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon caps a mission filled with delays, challenges, and global attention.
A SpaceX capsule has delivered four astronauts to the ISS for NASA’s latest crew rotation, allowing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return after nine months stranded due to a faulty Boeing Starliner capsule. Their scheduled departure on Wednesday has drawn political attention.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Russia commits to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, is visiting Washington this week for talks with members of the Trump administration, sparking fresh speculation over behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Moscow and Washington.
A Russian drone strike hit residential buildings in Kharkiv late on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, Ukrainian officials said, as nightly attacks on the country's cities continue to mount.
In Sydney’s Bennelong, where Chinese Australians make up a large share of the electorate, the fight for votes is playing out on unexpected turf: Xiaohongshu.
Leaders from Central Asia and the European Union will meet in Samarkand on April 4 for the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit, aimed at deepening ties. Talks will focus on trade, investment, green energy, and security — marking a new era of cooperation.
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement, ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race. She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Le Pen plans to appeal.
The Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights over Azerbaijan Army positions near Gerenzur, but all were successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, Armenian units repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani positions from multiple regions, escalating tensions in the area.
Apple marked its 49th anniversary by reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion. Despite recent tech stock volatility, Apple's shares surged 28% in 2024.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Russia commits to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, is visiting Washington this week for talks with members of the Trump administration, sparking fresh speculation over behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Moscow and Washington.
A Russian drone strike hit residential buildings in Kharkiv late on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, Ukrainian officials said, as nightly attacks on the country's cities continue to mount.
In Sydney’s Bennelong, where Chinese Australians make up a large share of the electorate, the fight for votes is playing out on unexpected turf: Xiaohongshu.
The United States is relapsing into an old identity. In 2025, President Donald Trump revived the strategy that once defined the American economy — tariffs. For more than a century, from 1789 to 1913, tariffs powered U.S. government revenues and protected domestic industry.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Russia commits to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, is visiting Washington this week for talks with members of the Trump administration, sparking fresh speculation over behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Moscow and Washington.
A Russian drone strike hit residential buildings in Kharkiv late on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, Ukrainian officials said, as nightly attacks on the country's cities continue to mount.
In Sydney’s Bennelong, where Chinese Australians make up a large share of the electorate, the fight for votes is playing out on unexpected turf: Xiaohongshu.
Leaders from Central Asia and the European Union will meet in Samarkand on April 4 for the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit, aimed at deepening ties. Talks will focus on trade, investment, green energy, and security — marking a new era of cooperation.
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