In search for life, NASA's ‘Clipper’ spacecraft to explore Jupiter's moon Europa in $5 billion mission
NASA to one of Jupiter's icy moons, will be a significant milestone in humanity's quest to uncover extraterrestrial life. Scheduled for launch in October, the Clipper spacecraft is set to embark on a journey towards Europa, one of Jupiter's numerous moons, AFP reported.
Europa holds particular significance as it is the closest celestial body within our solar system that might harbour conditions conducive to life. “One of the fundamental questions that NASA wants to understand is, are we alone in the cosmos?" Bob Pappalardo, the mission's project scientist told AFP.
“If we were to find the conditions for life, and then someday actually find life in a place like Europa, then that would say in our own solar system there are two examples of life: Earth and Europa. That would be huge for understanding how common life might be throughout the universe." The $5 billion probe is presently stationed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, housed within a specialised “clean room." Also Read: Solar eclipses are lot more common on Jupiter than Earth, NASA says ‘double triple and multiple…’ | See pics AFP reported that this environment is sealed and accessible only to individuals donning full-body protective gear.
Such stringent measures are in place to safeguard the probe against potential contamination by Earthly microbes, thereby minimizing the risk of transporting any unwanted organisms to Europa. Moreover, following its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Clipper spacecraft will be launched aboard a Space X Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the commencement of a journey spanning over five years.
This trajectory includes a pass by Mars to harness gravitational assistance for added velocity. Also Read:
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