A year from launch, the Europa Clipper spacecraft nears finish line

Enlarge / One of the final components added to the Europa Clipper spacecraft was the high-gain antenna, seen here during installation in August.NASA/JPL-Caltech

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.—The launch window for one of the most expensive robotic space missions in NASA’s history opens one year from Tuesday. Coming in at $5 billion, Europa Clipper will try to help scientists answer a bold question commensurate with its eye-popping cost: Are there places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life?

Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon, and is significantly more interesting to scientists searching for life. The

→ Continue reading at Ars Technica

Related articles

Comments

Share article

Latest articles