The Europa Clipper – an orbiter which NASA is intending to launch October 2024, is a developing interplanetary multiple flyby mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. It will utilise gravity assists from Mars in February 2025 and from Earth in December 2026, arriving at Europa in April 2030.
The Europa Clipper Mission will complement the JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) European space Agency Mission, scheduled for launch 13 April 2023. Arriving at Jupiter in 2031 JUICE will perform 2 flybys of Europa, several times by Callisto then moving into orbit around Ganymede in 2034.
The main science goals of JUICE for Europa – chemistry crucial to life, incorporating organic molecules, to understand surface features formation and non-water-ice material composition. The minimal depth of Europa’s icy crust over the freshly active zones.
Objectives:
The main science goal of the Europa Clipper is to establish if there is anywhere beneath the surface of Europa with the capability to support life – to explore its habitability.
- Habitability: Icy crust and ocean- To verify the presence of and characterise nature of water within or underneath the ice, and processes of surface ice-ocean exchange.
- Composition: Key compounds distribution and chemistry and links to the composition of the ocean.
- Geology: Characteristics and formation of surface features, Inc. Sites of recent or current activity.
It could also perform a low altitude flyby through Europa’s water vapor plumes which erupt out of the icy crust. This would allow it to sample the subsurface ocean of the moon, removing the requirement for it to land on Europa and embark on heavy-duty drilling through the ice to reach the ocean beneath.
References:
Europa Clipper https://wiki/Europa_Clipper
Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
Icewolves of Europa 
How fascinating! When it is supposed to reach orbit?
If all goes to plan it should be in 2030, so a few ears to go before anything really interesting happens!
The Icewolves had better keep themselves hidden that day, Icewolf… or else everyone’ll want to go and visit them!
They will all just vanish through the wolf-gates until the excitement has died down 😉➡️🌠
At least they’re prepared! 🙂
They have several years to design a species-appropriate action plan Tom!
At least they’re prepared! 🙂