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.
The upcoming Beatles biopic will be told through four films.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
The Swiss government announced on Tuesday that the value of Russian assets frozen in the country has risen to 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8.38 billion) by the end of March 2025, up from 5.8 billion francs last year, due to newly identified funds and ongoing investigations into sanctions violations.
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.
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
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.
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.
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.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
India's government has introduced a bill proposing sweeping reforms in the management of waqf properties, allowing non-Muslim members on waqf boards and enabling the state to determine disputed land ownership, sparking concerns among Muslim groups and opposition lawmakers.
Greece plans to invest €25 billion in a sweeping multi-year defence strategy, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Wednesday, marking a major step in modernising the country’s armed forces and reinforcing its strategic posture amid regional tensions and global uncertainty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on Wednesday, as both nations looked to deepen their strategic partnership and navigate rising global tensions through renewed diplomatic and economic cooperation.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to appear in court on Wednesday over allegations of failing to pay €1 million in taxes on image rights earnings during his first tenure at the club. Prosecutors seek a prison sentence of nearly five years and a €3.2 million fine.
The upcoming Beatles biopic will be told through four films.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
The Swiss government announced on Tuesday that the value of Russian assets frozen in the country has risen to 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8.38 billion) by the end of March 2025, up from 5.8 billion francs last year, due to newly identified funds and ongoing investigations into sanctions violations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment