Europa Clipper Sends Back First Jupiter Images

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has begun its primary science phase, sending back breathtaking images of Jupiter as it approaches the gas giant for the first time.

The spacecraft, launched in October 2024, will perform 50+ close flybys of Jupiter's moon Europa over its four-year primary mission. Scientists believe Europa harbors a liquid water ocean beneath its icy crust, making it one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for signs of life.

Mission highlights: • Ice-penetrating radar will peer up to 10km beneath Europa's surface • Mass spectrometer will analyze any water plumes • Magnetometer will measure the ocean's depth and salinity • Thermal instruments will locate recent warmth/activity

"We're seeing Jupiter in a way we've never seen before," said Europa Clipper Project Scientist Dr. Robert Pappalardo. "And Europa is waiting."

The first Europa flyby is scheduled for March 2025.