Europa Clipper

NASA space mission to Jupiter and Europa

Europa Clipper

Artist's rendering of the Europa Clipper spacecraft

Names| Europa Multiple Flyby Mission
Mission type| Europa reconnaissance
Operator| NASA
COSPAR ID| 2024-182A
SATCAT no.| 61507
Website| europa.nasa.gov
Mission duration| Cruise: 5.5 years[1][2]
Science phase: 4 years
Elapsed: 8 months, 20 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer| Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Launch mass| 6,065 kg (13,371 lb),[3][4][5] including 2,750 kg (6,060 lb) propellant[6]
Dry mass| 3,241 kg (7,145 lb)[7]
Payload mass| 352 kg (776 lb)
Dimensions| Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Solar panel span: 22 m (72 ft)[4]
Power| 600 watts from solar panels[8]
Start of mission
Launch date| October 14, 2024, 16:06:00 (2024-10-14UTC16:06Z) UTC (12:06 p.m. EDT)
Rocket| Falcon Heavy Block 5[9]
Launch site| Kennedy, LC-39A
Contractor| SpaceX
Flyby of Mars (gravity assist)
Closest approach| March 1, 2025, 17:57 (2025-03-01UTC17:57Z) UTC (12:57 p.m. EST)[10]
Distance| 884 km (549 mi)
Flyby of Earth (gravity assist)
Closest approach| December 3, 2026 4:15 PM EST[11]
Jupiter orbiter
Orbital insertion| April 11, 2030 (first closest approach to Europa)[12]
Orbits| 49[4][13]
| Instruments

PIMS| Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding
ECM| Europa Clipper Magnetometer
MISE| Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa
EIS| Europa Imaging System
REASON| Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface
E-THEMIS| Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System
MASPEX| MAss SPectrometer for Planetary EXploration
Europa-UVS| Europa-Ultraviolet Spectrograph
SUDA| SUrface Dust Analyzer[14]

Europa Clipper mission patch

Large Strategic Science Missions
Planetary Science Division

← Mars 2020

Mars Sample Return →

Solar System Exploration program

← DART

Uranus Orbiter and Probe →

Europa Clipper (previously known as Europa Multiple Flyby Mission) is a space probe developed by NASA to study Europa, a Galilean moon of Jupiter. It was launched on October 14, 2024.[15] The spacecraft used a gravity assist from Mars on March 1, 2025,[10] and it will use a gravity assist from Earth on December 3, 2026,[11] before arriving at Europa in April 2030.[16] The spacecraft will then perform a series of flybys of Europa while orbiting Jupiter.[17][18]

Europa Clipper is designed to study evidence for a subsurface ocean underneath Europa's ice crust, found by the Galileo spacecraft which orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003. Plans to send a spacecraft to Europa were conceived with projects such as Europa Orbiter and Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, in which a spacecraft would be inserted into orbit around Europa. However, due to the effects of radiation from the magnetosphere of Jupiter in Europa orbit, it was decided that it would be safer to insert a spacecraft into an elliptical orbit around Jupiter and make 49 close flybys of the moon instead.[19] The Europa Clipper spacecraft is larger than any previous spacecraft for NASA planetary missions.[20]

The orbiter will analyze the induced magnetic field around Europa, and attempt to detect plumes of water ejecta from a subsurface ocean; in addition to various other tests.[21]

The mission's name is a reference to the lightweight, fast clipper ships of the 19th century that routinely plied trade routes, since the spacecraft will pass by Europa at a rapid cadence, as frequently as every two weeks. The mission patch, which depicts a sailing ship, references the moniker.[22]

Europa Clipper complements the ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, launched in 2023, which will attempt to fly past Europa twice and Callisto multiple times before moving into orbit around Ganymede.

## History

[edit]

### Early proposals and Galileo discoveries

[edit]

In 1997, a Europa Orbiter mission was proposed by a team for NASA's Discovery Program[23] but was not selected. NASA's JPL announced one month after the selection of Discovery proposals that a NASA Europa orbiter mission would be conducted. JPL then invited the Discovery proposal team to be the Mission Review Committee (MRC).[citation needed]

At the same time as the proposal of the Discovery-class Europa Orbiter, the robotic Galileo spacecraft was already orbiting Jupiter. From December 8, 1995, to December 7, 1997, Galileo conducted the primary mission after entering the orbit of Jupiter. On that final date, the Galileo orbiter commenced an extended mission known as the Galileo Europa Mission (GEM), which ran until December 31, 1999. This was a low-cost mission extension with a budget of only US$30 million. The smaller team of about 40–50 people (compared with the primary mission's 200-person team from 1995 to 1997) did not have the resources to deal with problems, but when they arose, it was able to temporarily recall former team members (called "tiger teams") for intensive efforts to solve them. The spacecraft made several flybys of Europa (8), Callisto (4) and Io (2). On each flyby of the three moons it encountered, the spacecraft collected only two days' worth of data instead of the seven it had collected during the primary mission.[24] During GEM's eight flybys of Europa, it ranged from 196 to 3,582 km (122 to 2,226 mi), in two years.[24]

Europa has been identified as one of the locations in the Solar System that could possibly harbor microbial extraterrestrial life.[25][26][27] Immediately following the Galileo spacecraft's discoveries and the independent Discovery program proposal for a Europa orbiter, JPL conducted preliminary mission studies that envisioned a capable spacecraft such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (a US$16 billion mission concept),[28] the Jupiter Europa Orbiter (a US$4.3 billion concept), another orbiter (US$2 billion concept), and a multi-flyby spacecraft: Europa Clipper.[29]

A mission to Europa was recommended by the National Research Council in 2013.[25][27] The approximate cost estimate rose from US$2 billion in 2013 to US$4.25 billion in 2020.[30][31] The mission is a joint project between the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).[1][32]

### Funding put forward

[edit]

In March 2013, US$75 million was authorized to expand on the formulation of mission activities, mature the proposed science goals, and fund preliminary instrument development,[33] as suggested in 2011 by the Planetary Science Decadal Survey.[1][27] In May 2014, a House bill substantially increased the Europa Clipper (referred to as Europa Multiple Flyby Mission) funding budget for the 2014 fiscal year from US$15 million[34][35] to US$100 million to be applied to pre-formulation work.[36][37] Following the 2014 election cycle, bipartisan support was pledged to continue funding for the Europa Multiple Flyby Mission project.[38][39] The executive branch also granted US$30 million for preliminary studies.[40][41]

### Formulation

[edit]

In April 2015, NASA invited the ESA to submit concepts for an additional probe to fly together with the Europa Clipper spacecraft, with a mass limit of 250 kg.[42] It could be a simple probe, an impactor,[43] or a lander.[44] An internal assessment at ESA considered whether there was interest and funds available,[45][46][47][48] opening a collaboration scheme similar to the very successful Cassini–Huygens approach.[48]

In May 2015, NASA chose nine instruments that would fly on board the orbiter, budgeted to cost about US$110 million over the next three years.[49] In June 2015, NASA approved the mission concept, allowing the orbiter to move to its formulation stage.[50] In January 2016, NASA approved the addition of a lander,[51][52] but this was canceled in 2017 because it was deemed too risky.[53] In May 2016, the Ocean Worlds Exploration Program was approved,[54] of which the Europa mission is part.[55]

In February 2017, the mission moved from Phase A to Phase B (the preliminary design phase).[56] On July 18, 2017, the House Space Subcommittee held hearings on the Europa Clipper as a scheduled Large Strategic Science Missions class, and to discuss a possible follow up mission simply known as the Europa Lander.[57] Phase B continued into 2019.[56] In addition, subsystem vendors were selected, as well as prototype hardware elements for the science instruments. Spacecraft sub-assemblies were built and tested as well.[56]

### Fabrication and assembly

[edit]

NASA's Europa Clipper, with all of its instruments installed, is visible in the clean room of High Bay 1 at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

On August 19, 2019, the Europa Clipper proceeded to Phase C: final design and fabrication.[58]

On March 3, 2022, the spacecraft moved on to Phase D: assembly, testing, and launch.[59] On June 7, 2022, the main body of the spacecraft was completed.[60] By August 2022, the high-gain antenna had completed its major testing campaigns.[61]

By January 30, 2024, all of the science instruments were added to the spacecraft. The reason the instrument's electronics were aboard the spacecraft is because, while its antennas were added to the spacecraft's solar arrays at Kennedy Space Center later in the year, the former were not.[62] In March 2024, it was reported that the spacecraft underwent successful testing and was on track for launch later in the year.[63] In May 2024, the spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center for final launch preparations.[64] In September 2024, final pre-launch review was successfully completed, clearing the way for launch.[65] In early October 2024, due to the incoming Hurricane Milton, the spacecraft was placed in secure storage for safekeeping until the hurricane passed.[66]

### Launch

[edit]

In July 2024, the spacecraft faced concerns of delay and missing the launch window because of a discovery in June 2024 that its components were not as radiation-hardened as previously believed.[67] However, over the summer, intensive re-testing of the transistor components in question found that they would likely be annealed enough to 'self-heal'.[68][69] In September 2024, Europa Clipper was approved for a launch window opening on October 10, 2024;[68][70][69] however, on October 6, 2024, NASA announced that it would be standing down from the October 10 launch due to Hurricane Milton. Europa Clipper was finally launched on October 14, 2024.[66]

### End of mission planning

[edit]

The probe is scheduled to be crashed into Jupiter, Ganymede, or Callisto, to prevent it from crashing into Europa. In June 2022, lead project scientist Robert Pappalardo revealed that mission planners for Europa Clipper were considering disposing of the probe by crashing it into the surface of Ganymede in case an extended mission was not approved early in the main science phase. He noted that an impact would help the ESA's JUICE mission collect more information about Ganymede's surface chemistry.[71][72] In a 2024 paper, Pappalardo said the mission would last four years in Jupiter orbit, and that the disposal was targeted for September 3, 2034, if NASA did not approve a mission extension.[73]

## Objectives

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The photo composite of suspected water plumes on Europa The concept to achieve global-regional coverage of Europa during successive flybys

The goals of Europa Clipper are to explore Europa, investigate its habitability and aid in the selection of a landing site for the proposed Europa Lander.[52][74] This exploration is focused on understanding the three main requirements for life: liquid water, chemistry, and energy.[75] Specifically, the objectives are to study:[32]

* Ice shell and ocean: Confirm the existence and characterize the nature of water within or beneath the ice, and study processes of surface-ice-ocean exchange.
* Composition: Distribution and chemistry of key compounds and the links to ocean composition.
* Geology: Characteristics and formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity.

The spacecraft carries scientific instruments which will be used to analyze the potential presence of geothermal activity and the moon's induced magnetic field; which in turn will provide an indication to the presence of saline rich subsurface ocean(s).[76][77]

### Strategy

[edit]

A wide orbit of Jupiter with several flybys of Europa will minimize radiation exposure and increase data transfer speed.

Because Europa lies well within the harsh radiation fields surrounding Jupiter, even a radiation-hardened spacecraft in near orbit would be functional for just a few months.[29] Most instruments can gather data far faster than the communications system can transmit it to Earth due to the limited number of antennas available on Earth to receive the scientific data.[29] Therefore, another key limiting factor on science for a Europa orbiter is the time available to return data to Earth. In contrast, the amount of time during which the instruments can make close-up observations is less important.[29]

Studies by scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory show that by performing several flybys with many months to return data, the Europa Clipper concept will enable a US$2 billion mission to conduct the most crucial measurements of the canceled US$4.3 billion Jupiter Europa Orbiter concept.[29] Between each of the flybys, the spacecraft will have seven to ten days to transmit data stored during each brief encounter. That will let the spacecraft have up to a year of time to transmit its data compared to just 30 days for an orbiter. The result will be almost three times as much data returned to Earth, while reducing exposure to radiation.[29] Europa Clipper will not orbit Europa, but will instead orbit Jupiter and conduct 44 flybys of Europa, each at altitudes ranging from 25 to 2,700 km (16 to 1,678 mi) during its 3.5-year mission.[4][2][78] A key feature of the mission concept is that Europa Clipper would use gravity assists from Europa, Ganymede and Callisto to change its trajectory, allowing the spacecraft to return to a different close approach point with each flyby.[2] Each flyby would cover a different sector of Europa to achieve a medium-quality global topographic survey, including ice thickness.[79] Europa Clipper could conceivably fly by at low altitude through the plumes of water vapor erupting from the moon's ice crust, thus sampling its subsurface ocean without having to land on the surface and drill through the ice.[34][35]

The spacecraft is expected to receive a total ionizing dose of 2.8 megarads (28 kGy) during the mission. Shielding from Jupiter's harsh radiation belt will be provided by a radiation vault with 0.3 inches (7.6 mm) thick aluminum alloy walls, which enclose the spacecraft electronics.[80] To maximize the effectiveness of this shielding, the electronics are also nested in the core of the spacecraft for additional radiation protection.[79]

## Design and construction

[edit]

Spacecraft diagram

This mission is a flight of NASA's Planetary Science Division, designated a Large Strategic Science Mission, and funded under the Planetary Missions Program Office's Solar System Exploration program as its second flight.[57][81] It is also supported by the new Ocean Worlds Exploration Program.[55]

The spacecraft bus is a 5-meter-long combination of a 150-cm-wide aluminum cylindrical propulsion module and a rectangular box.[6] The electronic components are protected from the intense radiation by a 150-kilogram titanium, zinc and aluminum shielded vault in the box.[4][79]

### Power

[edit]

Both radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) and photovoltaic power sources were assessed to power the orbiter.[82] Although solar power is only 4% as intense at Jupiter as it is in Earth's orbit, powering a Jupiter orbital spacecraft by solar panels was demonstrated by the Juno mission. The alternative to solar panels was a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), fueled with plutonium-238.[2][79] The power source has already been demonstrated in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Five units were available, with one reserved for the Mars 2020 rover mission and another as backup. In September 2013, it was decided that the solar array was the less expensive option to power the spacecraft, and on October 3, 2014, it was announced that solar panels were chosen to power Europa Clipper. The mission's designers determined that solar power was both cheaper than plutonium and practical to use on the spacecraft.[82] Despite the increased weight of solar panels compared to plutonium-powered generators, the vehicle's mass had been projected to still be within acceptable launch limits.[83]

Each panel has a surface area of 18 m2 (190 sq ft) and produces 150 watts continuously when pointed towards the Sun while orbiting Jupiter.[84] While in Europa's shadow, batteries will enable the spacecraft to continue gathering data. However, ionizing radiation can damage solar panels. The Europa Clipper's orbit will pass through Jupiter's intense magnetosphere, which is expected to gradually degrade the solar panels as the mission progresses.[79] The solar panels were provided by Airbus Defence and Space, Netherlands.[85]

### Propulsion

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The propulsion subsystem was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. It is part of the Propulsion Module,[86] delivered by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. It is 3 metres (10 ft) tall, 1.5 metres (5 ft) in diameter and comprises about two-thirds of the spacecraft's main body. The propulsion subsystem carries nearly 2,700 kilograms (6,000 lb) of monomethyl hydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide propellant, 50% to 60% of which will be used for the 6 to 8-hour Jupiter orbit insertion burn. The spacecraft has a total of 24 rocket engines rated at 27.5 N (6.2 lbf) thrust for attitude control and propulsion.[6]

### Communication

[edit]

Prototype of the high-gain antenna during testing |

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2024)

|

The probe contains multiple antennas, including the high-gain antenna, which has a 3.1-meter (10-foot) diameter. The high-gain antenna operates on X-band frequencies of 7.2 and 8.4 gigahertz, and a Ka-band frequency of 32 gigahertz (12 times that of a typical cell phone).The antennas will be used to research gravity and radio science, allowing researchers to learn more about Europa's gravity[87] It was designed and constructed by a team led by Matt Bray at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, before being tested at Langley Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center in the spring and summer of 2022.[61]

### Scientific equipment

[edit]

The Europa Clipper mission is equipped with nine scientific instruments.[88] The nine science instruments for the orbiter, announced in May 2015, have a planned total mass of 82 kg (181 lb).[needs update][89]

#### Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS)

[edit]

The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System will provide high spatial resolution as well as multi-spectral imaging of the surface of Europa in the mid to far infrared bands to help detect heat which would suggest geologically active sites and areas, such as potential vents erupting plumes of water into space.[90]

The principal investigator is Philip Christensen of Arizona State University. This instrument is derived from the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, also developed by Philip Christensen.[91]

#### Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE)

[edit]

The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa instrument

The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa is an imaging near infrared spectrometer to probe the surface composition of Europa, identifying and mapping the distributions of organics (including amino acids and tholins[92][93]), salts, acid hydrates, water ice phases, and other materials.[93][94]

The principal investigator is Diana Blaney of Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the instrument was built in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

#### Europa Imaging System (EIS)

[edit]

The Europa Imaging System consists of visible spectrum cameras to map Europa's surface and study smaller areas in high resolution, as low as 0.5 m (20 in) per pixel. It consists of two cameras, both of which use 2048x4096 pixel CMOS detectors:[95][96]

* The Wide-angle Camera (WAC) has a field of view of 48° by 24° and a resolution of 11 m (36 ft) from a 50 km (31 mi) altitude. Optically the WAC uses 8 lens refractive optics with an 8 mm aperture and a 46 mm focal length which give it a f-number of f/5.75.[96] The WAC will obtain stereo imagery swaths throughout the mission.
* The Narrow-angle Camera (NAC) has a 2.3° by 1.2° field of view, giving it a resolution of 0.5 m (20 in) per pixel from a 50 km (31 mi) altitude. Optically the NAC uses a Ritchey Chrétien Cassegrain telescope with a 152 mm aperture and a 1000 mm focal length which give it a f-number of f/6.58.[96] The NAC is mounted on a 2-axis gimbal, allowing it to point at specific targets regardless of the main spacecraft's orientation. This will allow for mapping of >95% of Europa's surface at a resolution of ≤50 m (160 ft) per pixel. For reference, only around 14% of Europa's surface has previously been mapped at a resolution of ≤500 m (1,600 ft) per pixel.

The principal investigator is Elizabeth Turtle of the Applied Physics Laboratory.

#### Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS)

[edit]

The Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph instrument will be able to detect small erupting plumes, and will provide valuable data about the composition and dynamics of the moon's exosphere.[77]

The principal investigator is Kurt Retherford of Southwest Research Institute. Retherford was previously a member of the group that discovered plumes erupting from Europa while using the Hubble Space Telescope in the UV spectrum.[97]

#### Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON)

[edit]

The Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON)[98][99] is a dual-frequency ice penetrating radar (9 and 60 MHz) instrument that is designed to sound Europa's ice crust from the near-surface to the ocean, revealing the hidden structure of Europa's ice shell and potential water pockets within. REASON will probe the exosphere, surface and near-surface and the full depth of the ice shell to the ice-ocean interface up to 30 km.[93][98]

The principal investigator is Donald Blankenship of the University of Texas at Austin.[100] This instrument was built by Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

#### Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM)

[edit]

The Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) will be used to analyze the magnetic field around Europa. The instrument consists of three flux gates placed along an 8.5 metres (28 feet) boom, which were stowed during launch and deployed afterwards.[101] The magnetic field of Jupiter is thought to induce electric current in a salty ocean beneath Europa's ice, which in turn leads Europa to produce its own magnetic field, therefore by studying the strength and orientation of Europa's magnetic field over multiple flybys, scientists hope to be able to confirm the existence of Europa's subsurface ocean, as well as characterize the thickness of its icy crust and estimate the water's depth and salinity.[76]

The instrument team leader is Margaret Kivelson, University of Michigan.[102]

ECM replaced the proposed Interior Characterization of Europa using Magnetometry (ICEMAG) instrument, which was canceled due to cost overruns.[103] ECM is a simpler and cheaper magnetometer than ICEMAG would have been.[104]

#### Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS)

[edit]

Two of the Faraday cup sensors for the Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) instrument. Left is the final flight configuration and right is at an earlier testing stage.

The Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) measures the plasma surrounding Europa to characterize the magnetic fields generated by plasma currents. These plasma currents mask the magnetic induction response of Europa's subsurface ocean. In conjunction with a magnetometer, it is key to determining Europa's ice shell thickness, ocean depth, and salinity. PIMS will also probe the mechanisms responsible for weathering and releasing material from Europa's surface into the atmosphere and ionosphere and understanding how Europa influences its local space environment and Jupiter's magnetosphere.[105][106]

The principal investigator is Joseph Westlake of the Applied Physics Laboratory.

#### Mass Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration (MASPEX)

[edit]

The Mass Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration (MASPEX) will determine the composition of the surface and subsurface ocean by measuring Europa's extremely tenuous atmosphere and any surface materials ejected into space.[107][108]

Jack Waite, who led development of MASPEX, was also Science Team Lead of the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) on the Cassini spacecraft. The principal investigator is Jim Burch of Southwest Research Institute, who was previously the leader of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.

#### Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA)

[edit]

Europa Clipper's Dust Analyzer sensor head

The SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA)[14] is a mass spectrometer that will measure the composition of small solid particles ejected from Europa, providing the opportunity to directly sample the surface and potential plumes on low-altitude flybys. The instrument is capable of identifying traces of organic and inorganic compounds in the ice of ejecta,[109] and is sensitive enough to detect signatures of life even if the sample contains less than a single bacterial cell in a collected ice grain.[110]

The principal investigator is Sascha Kempf of the University of Colorado Boulder.

#### Gravity & Radio Science

[edit]

Although it was designed primarily for communications, the high-gain radio antenna will be used to perform additional radio observations and investigate Europa's gravitational field, acting as a radio science subsystem. Measuring the Doppler shift in the radio signals between the spacecraft and Earth will allow the spacecraft's motion to be determined in detail. As the spacecraft performs each of its 45 Europa flybys, its trajectory will be altered by the moon's gravitational field. The Doppler data will be used to determine the higher order coefficients of that gravity field, to determine the moon's interior structure, and to examine how Europa is deformed by tidal forces.[111]

The instrument team leader is Erwan Mazarico of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.[112]

## Launch and trajectory

[edit]

Falcon Heavy lifts off with Europa Clipper from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024; 12:06 pm. EDT  Europa Clipper separates from Falcon Heavy's Second Stage after deployment

### Launch preparations

[edit]

Congress had originally mandated that Europa Clipper be launched on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) super heavy-lift launch vehicle, but NASA had requested that other vehicles be allowed to launch the spacecraft due to a foreseen lack of available SLS vehicles.[113] The United States Congress's 2021 omnibus spending bill directed the NASA Administrator to conduct a full and open competition to select a commercial launch vehicle if the conditions to launch the probe on a SLS rocket cannot be met.[114]

On January 25, 2021, NASA's Planetary Missions Program Office formally directed the mission team to "immediately cease efforts to maintain SLS compatibility" and move forward with a commercial launch vehicle.[16]

On February 10, 2021, it was announced that the mission would use a 5.5-year trajectory to the Jovian system, with gravity-assist maneuvers involving Mars (March 1, 2025) and Earth (December 3, 2026). Launch was targeted for a 21-day period between October 10 and 30, 2024, giving an arrival date in April 2030, and backup launch dates were identified in 2025 and 2026.[16]

The SLS option would have entailed a direct trajectory to Jupiter taking less than three years.[51][52][2] One alternative to the direct trajectory was identified as using a commercial rocket, with a longer 6-year cruise time involving gravity assist maneuvers at Venus, Earth and/or Mars. Additionally, a launch on a Delta IV Heavy with a gravity assist at Venus was considered.[115]

In July 2021 the decision was announced to launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket, in fully expendable configuration.[9] Three reasons were given: reasonable launch cost (ca. $178 million), questionable SLS availability, and possible damage to the payload due to strong vibrations caused by the solid boosters attached to the SLS launcher.[115] The move to Falcon Heavy saved an estimated US$2 billion in launch costs alone.[116][117] NASA was not sure an SLS would be available for the mission since the Artemis program would use SLS rockets extensively, and the SLS's use of solid rocket boosters (SRBs) generates more vibrations in the payload than a launcher that does not use SRBs. The cost to redesign Europa Clipper for the SLS vibratory environment was estimated at US$1 billion.

### Launch

[edit]

Europa Clipper was originally scheduled to launch on October 10, two days after a Falcon 9 launched the ESA's Hera to 65803 Didymos from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a similar interplanetary trajectory. However, this launch attempt was scrubbed due to Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida the previous day, resulting in the launch being finalized for several days later.[118] Europa Clipper was launched on October 14, 2024, at 12:06 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon Heavy.[119] The rocket's boosters and first stage were both expended as a result of the spacecraft's mass and trajectory; the boosters were previously flown five times (including on the launch of Psyche for NASA and an X-37B for the United States Space Force), while the center stage was only flown for this mission.

Animation of Europa Clipper

Around the Sun
Europa Clipper ·    Earth ·    Jupiter ·   Sun ·   Mars

Around Jupiter
Europa Clipper ·   Europa ·   Callisto ·   Io

### Transit and observation

[edit]

The trajectory of Europa Clipper started with a gravity assist from Mars on March 1, 2025,[10] causing the probe to slow down a little (speed reduced by 2 kilometers per second) and modifying its orbit around the Sun such that it will allow the spacecraft to fly by Earth on December 3, 2026, gaining additional speed.[120][11] The probe will then arc (reach aphelion) beyond Jupiter's orbit on October 4, 2029[121] before slowly falling into Jupiter's gravity well and executing its orbital insertion burn in April 2030.[122]

As of 2014[update], the trajectory in the Jupiter system is planned as follows.[needs update] After entry into the Jupiter system, Europa Clipper will perform a flyby of Ganymede at an altitude of 500 km (310 mi), which will reduce the spacecraft velocity by ~400 m/s (890 mph). This will be followed by firing the main engine at a distance of 11 Rj (Jovian radii), to provide a further ~840 m/s (1,900 mph) of delta-V, sufficient to insert the spacecraft into a 202-day orbit around Jupiter. Once the spacecraft reaches the apoapsis of that initial orbit, it will perform another engine burn to provide a ~122 m/s (270 mph) periapsis raise maneuver (PRM).[123][needs update]

The spacecraft's cruise and science phases will overlap with the ESA's JUICE spacecraft, which was launched in April 2023 and will arrive at Jupiter in July 2031. Europa Clipper is due to arrive at Jupiter 15 months prior to JUICE, despite a launch date planned 18 months later, owing to a more powerful launch vehicle and a faster flight plan with fewer gravity assists.

## Public outreach

[edit]

To raise public awareness of the Europa Clipper mission, NASA undertook a "Message In A Bottle" campaign, i.e. an actual "Send Your Name to Europa" campaign on June 1, 2023, through which people around the world were invited to send their names as signatories to a poem called "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa" written by the U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, for the 2.9-billion-kilometer (1.8-billion mi) voyage to Jupiter. The poem describes the connections between Earth and Europa.[124]

The poem is engraved on Europa Clipper inside a tantalum metal plate, about 7 by 11 inches (18 by 28 centimeters), that seals an opening into the vault. The inward-facing side of the metal plate is engraved with the poem in the poet's own handwriting. The public participants' names are etched onto a microchip attached to the plate, within an artwork of a wine bottle surrounded by the four Galilean moons. After registering their names, participants received a digital ticket with details of the mission's launch and destination. According to NASA, 2,620,861 people signed their names to Europa Clipper's Message in a Bottle, most of whom were from the United States.[125] Other elements etched on the inwards side together with the poem and names are the Drake equation, representations of the spectral lines of a hydrogen atom and the hydroxyl radical, together known as the water hole, and a portrait of planetary scientist Ron Greeley.[126] The outward-facing panel features art that highlights Earth's connection to Europa. Linguists collected recordings of the word "water" spoken in 103 languages, from families of languages around the world. The audio files were converted into waveforms and etched into the plate. The waveforms radiate out from a symbol representing the American Sign Language sign for "water".[127] The research organization METI International gathered the audio files for the words for "water", and its president Douglas Vakoch designed the water hole component of the message.[128][129]

* The outside of the Europa Clipper commemorative plate features waveforms that are visual representations of the sound waves formed by the word "water" in 103 languages

* The inside of a commemorative plate mounted on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft features U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón's handwritten "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa" (blurred for copyright reasons)

## See also

[edit]

* Spaceflight portal
* Biology portal
* Solar System portal
* Astronomy portal

* Europa Orbiter – Cancelled NASA orbiter mission to Europa
* Europa Jupiter System Mission – Laplace – Canceled orbiter mission concept to Jupiter
* Exploration of Jupiter – Overview of the exploration of the planet Jupiter and its moons
* Galileo (spacecraft) – First NASA mission to orbit Jupiter (1989–2003)
* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer – European mission to study Jupiter and its moons since 2023
* Laplace-P – Proposed Russian spacecraft to study the Jovian moon system and land on Ganymede

## References

[edit]

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## Further reading

[edit]

* Cochrane, Corey J.; et al. (June 2023). "Magnetic Field Modeling and Visualization of the Europa Clipper Spacecraft". Space Science Reviews. 219 (4): 34. Bibcode:2023SSRv..219...34C. doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00974-y. PMC 10220138. PMID 37251605.
* Pappalardo, Robert T.; et al. (June 2024). "Science Overview of the Europa Clipper Mission". Space Science Reviews. 220 (4): 40. Bibcode:2024SSRv..220...40P. doi:10.1007/s11214-024-01070-5. hdl:1721.1/155077. ISSN 0038-6308.
* Roberts, James H.; et al. (September 2023). "Exploring the Interior of Europa with the Europa Clipper". Space Science Reviews. 219 (6): 46. Bibcode:2023SSRv..219...46R. doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00990-y. PMC 10457249. PMID 37636325.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Europa Clipper.

* Official website
* NASA – Overview of Europa

* v
* t
* e

Europa Clipper

Instruments|

* ECM
* E-THEMIS
* EIS
* Europa-UVS
* MASPEX
* MISE
* PIMS
* REASON
* SUDA
* ICEMAG (cancelled)

Related|

* Deep Space Network (DSN)
* Europa Lander (Independent launch)
* JPL
* Launcher: Falcon Heavy

* v
* t
* e

Europa

Geology|

| Chaotic terrain|

* Conamara Chaos

|

Craters|

* Pwyll
* Cilix

Lists|

* List of lineae on Europa
* List of geological features on Europa
* List of craters on Europa

Exploration|

| Past|

* Pioneer 10
* Pioneer 11
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2
* Galileo
* Cassini–Huygens
* New Horizons

|

En route|

* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (2023)
* Europa Clipper (2024)

Cancelled|

* Jupiter Europa Orbiter
* Europa Lander
* Europa Orbiter
* Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter
* Jovian Europa Orbiter
* Laplace-P/Europa Lander

Other|

* Life
* Europa in fiction

* Category

Related articles

* v
* t
* e

Jupiter

* Outline of Jupiter

Geography|

* Atmosphere
* Great Red Spot
* Magnetosphere
* Rings
* North Pole
* South Pole

Moons|

| Inner|

* Metis
* Adrastea
* Amalthea
* Thebe

|

Galilean|

* Io
* Europa
* Ganymede
* Callisto

Irregular|

* Himalia group
* Themisto
* Carpo group
* Valetudo
* Ananke group
* Carme group
* Pasiphae group

Astronomy|

| General|

* Jupiter-crossing minor planets
* Solar eclipses

|

Trojans|

* Greek camp
* Trojan camp

Impacts|

* Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9
* 2009 Jupiter impact event
* 2010 Jupiter impact event
* 2016 Jupiter impact event

Exploration,
orbital
missions|

| Current|

* Juno

|

Past|

* Cassini–Huygens
* Galileo project
* Galileo
* New Horizons
* Pioneer program
* Pioneer 10
* Pioneer 11
* Ulysses
* Voyager program
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2

Future|

* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (2023, en route)
* Europa Clipper (2024, en route)
* Tianwen-4 (2029)
* Solar Polar Orbit Observatory (2029)

Proposed|

* Laplace-P (2023)
* Shensuo (2024)
* Io Volcano Observer (2026)
* SMARA (2030)
* Enceladus Orbilander (2038)

Related|

* Fiction
* Mythology

* Category
* Solar System portal

* v
* t
* e

NASA Planetary Missions Program Office

Discovery program

| Missions|

| Main|

* NEAR Shoemaker
* Mars Pathfinder
* Lunar Prospector
* Stardust
* Genesis
* CONTOUR†
* MESSENGER
* Deep Impact
* Dawn
* Kepler
* GRAIL
* InSight
* Lucy
* Psyche
* DAVINCI
* VERITAS

|

Opportunity|

* ASPERA-3
* EPOXI
* NExT
* Moon Mineralogy Mapper
* Strofio
* MEGANE

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 12
* Comet Hopper
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Mission 13 and 14
* NEOCam
* Mission 15 and 16
* Io Volcano Observer
* Trident

|

Candidates|

* Enceladus Life Finder
* Icebreaker Life
* ISOCHRON
* JET
* LIFE
* MANTIS
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Moon Diver
* PADME
* Phobos Surveyor
* Whipple

New Frontiers program

| Missions|

* New Horizons
* Juno
* OSIRIS-REx
* Dragonfly

|

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 2
* MoonRise
* Mission 3
* MoonRise
* SAGE
* Mission 4
* CAESAR

|

Candidates|

* CONDOR
* CORSAIR
* ELF
* ELSAH
* Oceanus
* SPRITE
* VICI
* VISAGE
* VOX

Solar System Exploration program

| Missions|

* DART
* JUICE instruments
* Europa Clipper

|

* Underline indicates active current missions
* Italics indicate missions yet to launch
* Symbol † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned

* v
* t
* e

Spacecraft missions to Jupiter

Flybys|

* Pioneer program
* Pioneer 10
* 11‡
* Voyager program
* Voyager 1‡
* 2‡
* Ulysses‡
* Cassini–Huygens‡
* New Horizons‡

Orbiters|

* Galileo
* Juno (active)

Atmospheric probes|

* Galileo Probe

En route|

* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) (2023, insertion 2031)
* Europa Clipper (2024, insertion 2030)

Planned missions|

* Tianwen-4 (2029, insertion 2035)
* Solar Polar Orbit Observatory‡ (2029)

Proposed missions|

* Shensuo‡ (2020s)
* Europa Lander (2025)
* Interstellar Probe‡ (2036)

Cancelled
or not developed|

* Argo
* Europa Jupiter System Mission-Laplace
* Jupiter Europa Orbiter
* Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter
* Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter
* Europa Orbiter
* FIRE
* Innovative Interstellar Explorer
* Io Volcano Observer
* Jovian Europa Orbiter
* Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter
* Laplace-P
* New Horizons 2
* OKEANOS
* Pioneer H
* SMARA
* Trident
* Tsiolkovsky mission

Related topics|

* Exploration of Jupiter
* Atmosphere of Jupiter
* Magnetosphere of Jupiter
* Moons of Jupiter
* Io
* Exploration
* Europa
* Ganymede
* Callisto
* Rings of Jupiter
* Deep Space Network
* Missions to outer planets
* Colonization of the outer Solar System

Missions are ordered by launch date. Sign † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned. ‡ indicates use of the planet as a gravity assist en route to another destination.

* v
* t
* e

Spacecraft missions to Mars

* List of missions to Mars
* List of Mars orbiters
* List of artificial objects on Mars

Active|

| Flybys|

* Psyche‡ (2023, flyby in 2026)

|

Orbiters|

* 2001 Mars Odyssey
* Mars Express
* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
* timeline
* MAVEN
* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
* Hope
* Tianwen-1 orbiter

Rovers|

* Curiosity
* Mars Science Laboratory
* timeline
* Perseverance
* Mars 2020
* timeline

Past|

| Flybys|

* Mars 1†
* Mariner 4
* Zond 2†
* Mariner 6 and 7
* Mars 6
* Mars 7
* Rosetta‡
* Dawn‡
* Mars Cube One
* Europa Clipper‡
* Hera‡

|

Orbiters|

* Mars 2
* Mars 3
* Mariner 9
* Mars 4†
* Mars 5
* Viking program
* Viking 1
* Viking 2
* Phobos program
* Phobos 1†
* Phobos 2†
* Mars Observer†
* Mars Global Surveyor
* Nozomi†
* Mars Climate Orbiter†
* Mangalyaan

Landers|

* Mars 2†
* Mars 3†
* Mars 6†
* Mars 7†
* Viking 1
* Viking 2
* Mars Pathfinder
* Mars Polar Lander† / Deep Space 2†
* Beagle 2†
* Phoenix
* ExoMars Schiaparelli†
* InSight
* Tianwen-1 lander

Rovers|

* PrOP-M†
* Sojourner
* Mars Exploration Rover
* Spirit
* timeline
* Opportunity
* timeline
* Zhurong

Aircraft|

* Ingenuity helicopter
* flights
* Mars 2020

| Failed
launches|

* Mars 1M No.1
* 1M No.2
* 2MV-4 No.1
* 2MV-3 No.1
* Mariner 3
* Mars 2M No.521
* 2M No.522
* Mariner 8
* Mars 3MS No.170
* Mars 96
* Fobos-Grunt / Yinghuo-1

|

Future|

| Planned|

* EscaPADE (2025)
* Tera-hertz Explorer (TEREX) (mid 2020s)
* Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) (2026)
* Mangalyaan-2 (2026)
* Tianwen-3 (2028)
* Rosalind Franklin (2028)
* MBR Explorer‡ (2028, flyby in 2031)
* NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return
* Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters
* Kazachok

|

Proposed|

* MAGGIE
* SpaceX Mars program
* Mars-Grunt

| Cancelled
or not developed|

* Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey
* Astrobiology Field Laboratory
* Beagle 3
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* DePhine
* Icebreaker Life
* Marsokhod
* Mars 4NM & 5NM
* Mars 5M (Mars-79)
* Mars-Aster
* Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C)
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Mars Exploration Ice Mapper
* Mars One
* Mars Micro Orbiter
* Mars Surveyor Lander
* Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
* MELOS rover
* MetNet
* NetLander
* Northern Light
* Next Mars Orbiter
* PADME
* Phootprint
* Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars (SCIM)
* Sky-Sailor
* SpaceX Red Dragon
* Vesta
* Voyager Mars

|

Exploration|

| Concepts|

* Flyby
* Orbiter
* Landing
* Atmospheric entry
* Rover
* Aircraft
* Sample return
* Human mission
* Permanent settlement
* Colonization
* Terraforming

|

Strategies|

* Mars Scout Program
* Mars Exploration Program
* Mars Exploration Joint Initiative
* Mars Next Generation

Advocacy|

* The Mars Project
* The Case for Mars
* Inspiration Mars
* Mars Institute
* Mars Society
* Mars race

Missions are ordered by launch date. Sign † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned. ‡ indicates use of the planet as a gravity assist en route to another destination.

* v
* t
* e

NASA

Policy and history|

| History
(creation)|

* NACA (1915)
* National Aeronautics and Space Act (1958)
* Space Task Group (1958)
* Paine (1986)
* Rogers (1986)
* Ride (1987)
* Space Exploration Initiative (1989)
* Augustine (1990)
* U.S. National Space Policy (1996)
* CFUSAI (2002)
* CAIB (2003)
* Vision for Space Exploration (2004)
* Aldridge (2004)
* Augustine (2009)

|

General|

* Space Race
* Administrator and Deputy Administrator
* Chief Scientist
* Astronaut Corps
* Ranks and positions
* Chief
* Budget
* NASA research
* spinoff technologies
* NASA+
* NASA TV
* NASA Social
* Launch Services Program
* Mercury Control Center
* Manned Space Flight Network
* Kennedy Space Center
* Vehicle Assembly Building
* Launch Complex 39
* Launch Complex 48
* Launch Control Center
* Operations and Checkout Building
* Johnson Space Center
* Mission Control
* Lunar Sample Laboratory
* Science Mission Directorate

Human spaceflight
programs|

| Past|

* X-15 (suborbital)
* Mercury
* Gemini
* Apollo
* Skylab
* Apollo–Soyuz (with the Soviet space program)
* Space Shuttle
* Shuttle–Mir (with Roscosmos)
* Constellation

|

Current|

* International Space Station
* Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
* Commercial Crew
* Orion
* Artemis
* Lunar Gateway

Robotic programs|

| Past|

* Hitchhiker
* Mariner
* Mariner Mark II
* MESUR
* Mars Surveyor '98
* New Millennium
* Lunar Orbiter
* Pioneer
* Planetary Observer
* Ranger
* Surveyor
* Viking
* Project Prometheus
* Mars Exploration
* Mars Exploration Rover

|

Current|

* Living With a Star
* Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
* Earth Observing System
* Great Observatories program
* Explorers
* Voyager
* Discovery
* New Frontiers
* Solar Terrestrial Probes
* Commercial Lunar Payload Services
* SIMPLEx

Individual featured
missions
(human and robotic)|

| Past|

* Apollo 11
* COBE
* Mercury 3
* Mercury-Atlas 6
* Magellan
* Pioneer 10
* Pioneer 11
* Galileo
* timeline
* GALEX
* GRAIL
* WMAP
* Space Shuttle
* Spitzer Space Telescope
* Sojourner rover
* Spirit rover
* LADEE
* MESSENGER
* Aquarius
* Cassini
* Dawn
* Kepler space telescope
* Opportunity rover
* timeline
* observed
* RHESSI
* InSight
* Ingenuity helicopter
* flights

|

Currently
operating|

* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
* 2001 Mars Odyssey
* New Horizons
* International Space Station
* Hubble Space Telescope
* Chandra X-ray Observatory
* Swift
* THEMIS
* Mars Exploration Rover
* Curiosity rover
* timeline
* GOES 14
* Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
* GOES 15
* SDO
* Juno
* Mars Science Laboratory
* timeline
* NuSTAR
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2
* MAVEN
* MMS
* OSIRIS-APEX
* TESS
* Mars 2020
* Perseverance rover
* timeline
* James Webb Space Telescope
* timeline
* PACE
* Europa Clipper

Future|

* NISAR
* Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
* DAVINCI
* VERITAS

Communications
and navigation|

* Near Earth Network
* Space Network
* Deep Space Network (Goldstone
* Madrid
* Canberra
* Space Flight Operations Facility)
* Deep Space Atomic Clock

NASA lists|

* Astronauts
* by name
* by year
* Gemini astronauts
* Apollo astronauts
* Space Shuttle crews
* NASA aircraft
* NASA missions
* uncrewed missions
* Apollo missions
* Space Shuttle missions
* United States rockets
* NASA cancellations
* NASA cameras on spacecraft

NASA images
and artwork|

* Earthrise
* The Blue Marble
* Family Portrait
* Pale Blue Dot
* Pillars of Creation
* Mystic Mountain
* Solar System Family Portrait
* The Day the Earth Smiled
* Fallen Astronaut
* Deep fields
* Lunar plaques
* Pioneer plaques
* Voyager Golden Record
* Apollo 11 goodwill messages
* NASA insignia
* Gemini and Apollo medallions
* Mission patches
* Astronomy Picture of the Day
* Hubble Space Telescope anniversary images

Related|

* "We choose to go to the Moon"
* Apollo 8 Genesis reading
* Apollo 15 postal covers incident
* Apollo Lunar Module
* Space Mirror Memorial
* The Astronaut Monument
* Lunar sample displays
* Moon rocks
* stolen or missing
* U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
* Space program on U.S. stamps
* Apollo 17 Moon mice
* Moon tree
* Other primates in space
* NASA International Space Apps Challenge
* Astronauts Day
* National Astronaut Day
* Nikon NASA F4

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Astrobiology

Disciplines|

* Astrochemistry
* Astrophysics
* Atmospheric sciences
* Biochemistry
* Evolutionary biology
* Exoplanetology
* Geomicrobiology
* Microbiology
* Paleontology
* Planetary oceanography
* Planetary science

Main topics|

* Abiogenesis
* Allan Hills 84001
* Biomolecule
* Biosignature
* Drake equation
* Earliest known life forms
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial life
* Extraterrestrial sample curation
* Extremophiles
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* List of microorganisms tested in outer space
* Ocean planet
* Panspermia
* Planetary protection
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
* Yamato meteorite

Planetary
habitability|

* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of natural satellites
* Habitability of neutron star systems
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems
* Habitability of yellow dwarf systems
* Habitability of F-type main-sequence star systems
* Habitable zone for complex life
* List of potentially habitable exoplanets
* Tholin
* Superhabitable planet

Space
missions|

| Earth orbit|

* BIO
* BIOCORE
* Biolab
* Bion
* BIOPAN
* Biosatellite program
* E-MIST
* ERA
* Eu:CROPIS
* EXOSTACK
* EXPOSE
* Lunar Micro Ecosystem
* O/OREOS
* OREOcube
* Tanpopo
* VEGGIE

|

Mars|

* Beagle 2
* Fobos-Grunt
* Mars Science Laboratory
* Curiosity rover
* Mars 2020
* Perseverance rover
* Phoenix
* Tianwen-1
* Zhurong rover
* Trace Gas Orbiter
* Viking

Comets and
asteroids|

* Hayabusa2
* OSIRIS-REx
* Rosetta

Heliocentric|

* BioSentinel

Planned|

* Dragonfly
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover

Proposed|

* Breakthrough Enceladus
* BRUIE
* CAESAR
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder‎
* Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability
* Enceladus Orbilander
* Europa Lander
* ExoLance
* Explorer of Enceladus and Titan
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Mars sample return mission
* Oceanus
* THEO
* Trident

Cancelled and
undeveloped|

* Astrobiology Field Laboratory
* Beagle 3
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* Kazachok
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher
* MELOS
* Northern Light
* Red Dragon
* Terrestrial Planet Finder

Institutions
and programs|

* Astrobiology Society of Britain
* Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Breakthrough Starshot
* Carl Sagan Institute
* Center for Life Detection Science
* European Astrobiology Network Association
* MERMOZ
* NASA Astrobiology Institute
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Ocean Worlds Exploration Program
* Spanish Astrobiology Center‎

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Extraterrestrial life

Events and objects|

* Shergotty meteorite (1865)
* Nakhla meteorite (1911)
* Murchison meteorite (1969)
* Viking lander biological experiments (1976)
* Allan Hills 77005 (1977)
* Allan Hills 84001 (1984)
* Yamato 000593 (2000)
* CI1 fossils (2011)

Signals of interest|

| Misidentified|

* CP 1919 (misidentified pulsar)
* CTA-102 (misidentified quasar)

|

Stars|

* KIC 8462852 (unusual light fluctuations)
* EPIC 204278916 (unusual light fluctuations)
* VVV-WIT-07 (unusual light fluctuations)
* HD 164595 signal (unknown origin)

Other|

* SHGb02+14a (radio source)
* Wow! signal (inconclusive)
* Fast radio burst (unknown origin)
* BLC1 (radio signal)

Life in the Universe|

* Earliest known life forms
* Planetary habitability in the Solar System
* Life on Venus
* Life on Mars
* Life on Titan

Planetary
habitability|

* Catalog of Nearby Habitable Systems
* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of natural satellites
* Habitability of neutron star systems
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems
* Habitability of yellow dwarf systems
* Habitability of F-type main-sequence star systems
* List of potentially habitable exoplanets
* Planetary habitability
* Superhabitable planet
* Tholin

Space missions|

* Beagle 2
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* BioSentinel
* Curiosity rover
* Darwin
* Dragonfly
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* ExoLance
* EXPOSE
* Foton-M3
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Mars sample-return mission
* Mars 2020
* Northern Light
* Opportunity rover
* Perseverance rover
* SpaceX Red Dragon
* Spirit rover
* Tanpopo
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Venus In Situ Explorer
* Viking 1
* Viking 2

Interstellar
communication|

* Active SETI
* Allen Telescope Array
* Arecibo message
* Arecibo Observatory
* Berkeley SETI Research Center
* Bracewell probe
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence
* Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal
* Astrolinguistics
* Lincos language
* NIROSETI
* Pioneer plaque
* Project Cyclops
* Project Ozma
* Project Phoenix
* SERENDIP
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
* SETI@home
* setiQuest
* Voyager Golden Record
* Water hole
* Xenolinguistics

Types of alleged
extraterrestrial beings|

* Energy beings
* Grey aliens
* Insectoids
* Little green men
* Nordic aliens
* Reptilian humanoids

Hypotheses|

* Cosmic pluralism
* Directed panspermia
* Drake equation
* Extraterrestrial hypothesis
* Fermi paradox
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* Interplanetary contamination
* Kardashev scale
* Mediocrity principle
* Non-planetary abiogenesis
* Panspermia

Fermi paradox solutions|

* Aestivation hypothesis
* Berserker hypothesis
* Dark forest hypothesis
* Firstborn hypothesis
* Great Filter
* Hart–Tipler conjecture
* Neocatastrophism
* Planetarium hypothesis
* Rare Earth hypothesis
* Zoo hypothesis

Related topics|

* Ancient astronauts
* Astrobiology
* Astroecology
* Biosignature
* Brookings Report
* Exotheology
* Extraterrestrials in fiction
* Extremophile
* Hemolithin
* History of the extraterrestrial life debate
* MERMOZ
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Noogenesis
* Planetary protection
* Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact
* Post-detection policy
* San Marino Scale
* Technosignature
* UFO religion
* Xenoarchaeology

* v
* t
* e

SpaceX

History

Launch vehicles|

| Current|

* Falcon 9
* Block 5
* boosters
* Falcon Heavy

|

In development|

* Starship
* Super Heavy booster
* upper stage
* lunar lander

Retired|

* Falcon 1
* Falcon 9
* v1.0
* v1.1
* "Full Thrust" v1.2
* Block 4

Cancelled|

* Falcon 1e*
* Falcon 5*
* Falcon 9 Air*
* BFR and ITS*

Spacecraft|

| Cargo|

* Dragon 1 Cargo
* Dragon 2 Cargo
* Dragon XL*
* Starship*

|

Crewed|

* Dragon 2 Crew
* C206 Endeavour
* C207 Resilience
* C210 Endurance
* C212 Freedom
* C213 Grace
* Starship*

Test vehicles|

| Current|

* Starship prototypes
* first stage booster
* upper stage

|

Retired|

* Grasshopper
* F9R Dev1†
* F9R Dev2*
* DragonFly
* Starhopper

Rocket engines|

* Draco
* Kestrel
* Merlin
* Raptor
* SuperDraco

Lists of missions|

* Falcon 1
* Falcon 9 and Heavy
* 2010–2019
* 2020–2021
* SpaceBEE
* Starlink
* launches
* in the Russo-Ukrainian War
* Starship

Launch facilities|

* Cape Canaveral
* SLC-40
* Kennedy
* LC-39A
* Vandenberg
* SLC-4E
* SLC-6*
* Omelek Island†
* Starbase

Landing sites|

* Autonomous spaceport drone ships
* Landing Zones
* LZ-1 and LZ-2
* LZ-4

Other facilities|

* Austin, Texas
* Hawthorne, California
* McGregor, Texas
* Redmond, Washington
* Starbase, Texas

Support|

* Megan (recovery ship)
* Shannon (recovery ship)
* SpaceX fairing recovery program
* STARGATE

Contracts|

* Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
* Commercial Resupply Services
* Commercial Crew Program
* Commercial Lunar Payload Services
* Gateway Logistics Services
* Human Landing System
* Polaris
* Rocket Cargo
* Starshield

R&D programs|

* Reusability
* Falcon 9 landing tests
* Red Dragon (canceled)
* Mars transport

Key people|

* Elon Musk (CEO, CTO)
* Gwynne Shotwell (President and COO)
* Tom Mueller (former VP of Propulsion Development)

Related|

* Starbase, Texas
* Blue Origin Federation, LLC v. United States
* Commercial astronaut
* Billionaire space race
* Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (2021 docuseries)
* Return to Space (2022)

* denotes unflown vehicles or engines, and future missions or sites. † denotes failed missions, destroyed vehicles, and abandoned sites.

* Category

* v
* t
* e

21st-century space probes

Active space probes
(deep space missions)|

| Sun|

* Parker Solar Probe
* Solar Orbiter
* Aditya-L1

|

Moon|

* ARTEMIS
* CAPSTONE
* Chandrayaan-2
* Chang'e 3
* Chang'e 4 (Yutu-2 rover)
* Chang'e 5
* Danuri
* Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
* Queqiao
* Queqiao 2
* Tiandu 1 and 2
* Chang'e 6
* ICUBE-Q
* Blue Ghost Mission 1
* Hakuto-R Mission 2
* Tenacious

Mars|

* Emirates Mars Mission
* ExoMars TGO
* Mars Express
* 2001 Mars Odyssey
* MAVEN
* MRO
* MSL Curiosity rover
* Tianwen-1
* Mars 2020
* Perseverance rover

Other planets|

* BepiColombo
* Mercury
* Akatsuki
* Venus
* Juno
* Jupiter
* Juice
* Jupiter
* Europa Clipper
* Jupiter

Minor planets|

* Chang'e 2
* Hayabusa2 / MINERVA-II
* Lucy
* New Horizons
* OSIRIS-REx
* Hera
* Psyche
* Tianwen-2

Interstellar space|

* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2

Completed after 2000
(by termination date)|

| 2000s|

* 2001
* NEAR Shoemaker
* Deep Space 1
* 2003
* Pioneer 10
* Galileo
* Nozomi
* 2004
* Genesis
* 2005
* Huygens
* 2006
* Mars Global Surveyor
* 2008
* Phoenix
* 2009
* Chang'e 1
* Ulysses
* Chandrayaan-1
* SELENE
* LCROSS

|

2010s|

* 2010
* Hayabusa
* MER Spirit rover
* 2011
* Stardust
* 2012
* GRAIL
* 2013
* Deep Impact
* 2014
* LADEE
* Venus Express
* Chang'e 5-T1
* 2015
* MESSENGER
* PROCYON
* IKAROS
* 2016
* Rosetta / Philae
* Yutu rover
* ExoMars Schiaparelli
* 2017
* LISA Pathfinder
* Cassini
* 2018
* MASCOT
* Dawn
* Longjiang-1
* 2019
* MarCO
* MER Opportunity rover
* Beresheet
* Longjiang-2
* Chandrayaan-2 / Pragyan rover

2020s|

* 2020
* Chang'e 5
* 2022
* Double Asteroid Redirection Test
* Mangalyaan
* InSight
* 2023
* Hakuto-R Mission 1
* Luna 25
* Chandrayaan-3 / Pragyan rover
* Zhurong rover
* 2024
* Peregrine Mission One
* Ingenuity helicopter
* SLIM
* IM-1
* 2025
* Brokkr-2
* IM-2
* Lunar Trailblazer

* List of Solar System probes
* List of lunar probes
* List of extraterrestrial orbiters
* List of space telescopes

* v
* t
* e

← 2023

Orbital launches in 2024

2025 →

January|

* XPoSat
* Starlink G7-9 (21 satellites)
* Ovzon-3
* Starlink G6-35 (23 satellites)
* Tianmu-1 15-18
* Peregrine Mission One (Iris, Colmena × 5)
* Einstein Probe
* Tianxing-1-02
* Gravity-1 (Yunyao-1 18-20)
* IGS-Optical 8
* Starlink G7-10 (22 satellites)
* Starlink G6-37 (23 satellites)
* Tianzhou 7
* Axiom Mission 3
* Soraya
* Kinetica 1 (Taijing-1-03, Taijing-2-02, Taijing-2-04, Taijing-3-02, Taijing-4-03)
* Starlink G7-11 (22 satellites)
* Simorgh (Mahda, Keyhan-2, Hatef-1)
* Starlink G6-38 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G7-12 (22 satellites)
* Cygnus NG-20
* Lemur-2 / Skylark × 4

February|

* Geely Constellation Group 02 (11 satellites)
* Jielong 3 (DRO-L, NExSat 1, WeiHai-1-01/02, Xingshidai 18-20, Yantai-2, Zhixing 2A)
* PACE
* Kosmos 2575 / Razbeg №2
* Starlink G7-13 (22 satellites)
* SDA Tracking Layer Tranche 0 (4 satellites)
* Progress MS-26
* IM-1 (EagleCam)
* Starlink G7-14 (22 satellites)
* H3 (Vehicle Evaluation Payload-4, CE-SAT-1E, TIRSAT)
* INSAT-3DS
* ADRAS-J
* Merah Putih 2
* Starlink G7-15 (22 satellites)
* TJS-11
* Starlink G6-39 (24 satellites)
* Meteor-M No.2-4
* WHG-01
* Starlink G6-40 (23 satellites)

March|

* SpaceX Crew-8
* AEROS MH-1
* Starlink G6-41 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-43 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G7-17 (23 satellites)
* StriX-3
* KAIROS (CSICE Quick Response Satellite)†
* DRO-A, B
* Starship flight test 3
* Starlink G6-44 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G7-16 (20 satellites), USA-350 / Starshield, USA-351 / Starshield
* Queqiao-2, Tiandu-1, Tiandu-2
* Yunhai-2 02 (6 satellites)
* USA-352 / RASR-5
* SpaceX CRS-30
* Soyuz MS-25
* Starlink G6-42 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-46 (23 satellites)
* Yunhai-3 02
* Eutelsat 36D
* Starlink G6-45 (23 satellites)
* Resurs-P №4

April|

* Starlink G7-18 (22 satellites)
* Yaogan 42-01
* Starlink G6-47 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G8-1 (21 satellites)
* Acadia-4, Hawk × 6, TSAT-1A
* USA-353 / Orion 12
* Starlink G6-48 (23 satellites)
* Angara A5 (Orion)
* WSF-M 1
* Starlink G6-49 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-51 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-52 (23 satellites)
* Yaogan 42-02
* Starlink G6-53 (23 satellites)
* Shenzhou 18
* Galileo FOC FM25, Galileo FOC FM26
* Starlink G6-54 (23 satellites)

May|

* WorldView Legion 1, WorldView Legion 2
* Starlink G6-55 (23 satellites)
* Chang'e 6, ICUBE-Q
* Starlink G6-57 (23 satellites)
* Long March 6C (Haiwangxing-01, Zhixing-1C)
* Starlink G6-56 (23 satellites)
* Zhihui Tianwang 1-01A & 1-01B
* Starlink G8-2 (20 satellites)
* Shiyan 23
* Starlink G6-58 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G8-7 (20 satellites)
* Kosmos 2576 / Nivelir-L N°4
* Starlink G6-59 (23 satellites)
* Beijing-3C (4 satellites)
* Kuaizhou 11 (Chaodigui Jishu Shiyan, Lingque-3 01, Luojia 3-01, Tianyan 22)
* USA-354,...,USA-374 / Starshield × 21
* Starlink G6-62 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-63 (23 satellites)
* PREFIRE Mission 1
* Malligyong-1 #1†
* Starlink G6-60 (23 satellites)
* EarthCARE
* Ceres-1S (Tianqi 25-28)
* Progress MS-27
* Paksat-MM1R
* Ceres-1 (Jiguang 01 & 02, Yunyao-1 14, Yunyao-1 25-26)

June|

* Starlink G6-64 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G8-5 (20 satellites)
* PREFIRE Mission 2
* Boe-CFT
* Ceres-1 (Naxing-3A & 3B, TEE-01B)
* Starship flight test 4
* Starlink G10-1 (22 satellites)
* Starlink G8-8 (20 satellites)
* Starlink G9-1 (20 satellites)
* Kinéis 1 A-E
* ASTRA 1P / SES-24
* SVOM
* Starlink G10-2 (22 satellites)
* Starlink G9-2 (20 satellites)
* GOES-U
* Starlink G10-3 (23 satellites)
* USA-375,...,USA-395 / Starshield × 21
* ChinaSat 3A

July|

* ALOS-4
* Starlink G8-9 (20 satellites)
* Alpha (CatSat, KUbeSat-1, MESAT 1, R5-S2-2.0, R5-S4, Serenity, SOC-i, TechEdSat-11)
* Tianhui 5 Group 02 (2 satellites)
* Türksat 6A
* Ariane 6 (Nyx Bikini, ISTSat-1)
* Ceres-1 (Yunyao-1 15-17)†
* Starlink G9-3 (23 satellites)†
* Gaofen 11-05
* Starlink G10-9 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G10-4 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G9-4 (21 satellites)
* USA-396, USA-397, USA-398

August|

* WHG-02
* Starlink G10-6 (23 satellites)
* StriX-4
* Starlink G11-1 (23 satellites)
* Cygnus NG-21 (Wisseed Sat)
* Qianfan Polar Group 01 (18 satellites)
* Starlink G8-3 (21 satellites)
* Acadia-3
* ASBM-1, ASBM-2
* Starlink G10-7 (23 satellites)
* Progress MS-28
* WorldView Legion 3, WorldView Legion 4
* EOS-08
* Yaogan 43-01 (9 satellites)
* ION SCV-012, Acadia-5, EagleEye, Hawk × 3, ICEYE × 4, ÑuSat × 3, Flock-4be × 36, HYPSO-2, Lemur-2 × 7, Lemu Nge, Nightjar, Phi-Sat-2, PTD-4, PTD-R, TORO
* Starlink G10-5 (22 satellites)
* ChinaSat 4A
* Starlink G8-6 (21 satellites)
* Ceres-1S (Jitianxing A-03, Suxing 1-01, Tianfu Gaofen 2, Yunyao-1 15-17)
* Starlink G8-10 (21 satellites)
* Starlink G9-5 (21 satellites)

September|

* Yaogan 43-02 (6 satellites)
* Sentinel-2C
* Starlink G8-11 (21 satellites)
* Geely Constellation Group 03 (10 satellites)
* USA-400,...,USA-420 / Starshield × 21
* Polaris Dawn
* Soyuz MS-26
* BlueBird Block 1 (5 satellites)
* Starlink G9-6 (21 satellites)
* Qaem 100 (Chamran-1)
* Kosmos 2577 / OO MKA №1, Kosmos 2578 / OO MKA №2
* Galileo FOC FM26, Galileo FOC FM32
* BeiDou-3 M27, BeiDou-3 M28
* Jilin-1 Kuanfu-02B (6 satellites)
* Kuaizhou-1A (Tianqi 29-32)
* Starlink G9-17 (20 satellites)
* Kinéis 3 A-E
* Tianyan-15
* Jilin-1 SAR-01A
* Starlink G9-8 (20 satellites)
* IGS-Radar 8
* Shijian 19
* SpaceX Crew-9

October|

* Vulcan Cert-2
* Hera, Juventas, Milani
* WHG-03
* Starship flight test 5
* Europa Clipper
* Starlink G10-10 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G9-7 (20 satellites)
* Qianfan Polar Group 02 (18 satellites)
* Gaofen 12-05
* Starlink G8-19 (20 satellites)
* OneWeb L20 (20 satellites)
* Tianping-3A01, Tianping-3B01, Tianping-3B02
* Yaogan 43-03 (3 satellites)
* Starlink G6-61 (23 satellites)
* USA-421,...,USA-437 / Starshield × 17
* Starlink G10-8 (22 satellites)
* Shenzhou 19
* Starlink G9-9 (20 satellites)
* Starlink G10-13 (23 satellites)
* Kosmos 2579 / Bars-M 6L

November|

* DSN-3
* Ionosfera-M n°1 & n°2
* SpaceX CRS-31 (LignoSat)
* Protosat-1
* Starlink G6-77 (23 satellites)
* PIESAT-2A 01, PIESAT-2B 01–03
* Starlink G9-10 (20 satellites)
* Shiyan 26A, Shiyan 26B, Shiyan 26C, Jilin-1 Gaofen-05B-01, Jilin-1 Pingtai-02A-03, Tianyan-24
* Koreasat 6A
* Starlink G6-69 (24 satellites)
* Haiyang-4A
* Starlink G9-11 (20 satellites)
* Starlink G6-68 (24 satellites)
* Tianzhou 8
* Optus-X
* Starlink G9-12 (20 satellites)
* GSAT-20
* Starship flight test 6
* Progress MS-29
* Starlink G6-66 (24 satellites)
* Starlink G9-13 (20 satellites)
* Siwei Gaojing 2-03, Siwei Gaojing 2-04
* Kinéis 5 A-E
* Starlink G12-1 (23 satellites)
* Guangchuan-01, Guangchuan-02
* Starlink G6-76 (24 satellites)
* Kondor-FKA №2
* Starlink G6-65 (24 satellites)
* Starlink GN-01 (20 satellites), USA-438 / Starshield, USA-439 / Starshield
* Long March 12 (JSW-03)

December|

* TJS-13
* Haishao-1
* Starlink G6-70 (24 satellites)
* Kosmos 2580 / Lotos-S1 n°09
* Starlink G9-14 (20 satellites)
* Qianfan Polar Group 03 (18 satellites)
* PROBA-3
* SXM-9
* Sentinel-1C
* Saman-1
* Starlink G12-5 (23 satellites)
* High Speed Laser Diamond Constellation Test System (5 satellites)
* Starlink G11-2 (22 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 01 (10 satellites)
* PIESAT-2 09-12
* USA-440
* USA-441,...,USA-462 Starshield × 22
* O3b mPOWER 7 & 8
* Kairos (ISHIKI, TATARA-1, SC-Sat1)†
* Ceres-1S (Tianqi 33-36)
* TJS-12
* LASARsat
* StriX-2
* Starlink G12-2 (21 satellites)
* Resurs-P n°05
* Kinetica 1 (DEAR-3)†
* Starlink G11-3 (22 satellites)
* Astranis Block 2 (4 satellites)
* SpaDeX
* Starlink G12-6 (21 satellites)

Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ).
Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

* v
* t
* e

2024 in space

* « 2023

2025 »

Space probe launches |

* Peregrine Mission One (January)
* XPoSat
* Einstein Probe (January)
* DRO A/B (March)
* Chang'e 6 (Sample return from lunar far side, May-June)
* IM-1 / EagleCam
* Queqiao 2 / Tiandu-1 and 2 (March)
* Chang'e 6 / ICUBE-Q (May)
* Space Variable Objects Monitor (June)
* Hera / Milani / Juventas (October)
* Europa Clipper (October)
* PROBA-3 (December)

Impact events|

* 2024 BX1
* 2024 RW1
* 2024 UQ
* 2024 XA1

Selected NEOs|

* Asteroid close approaches
* 2020 BX12
* 2011 MD
* 2022 YO1
* 2024 MK
* 2024 ON
* 2024 PT5
* 2024 YR4

Discoveries|

* QSO J0529-4351
* 1 moon of Uranus
* 2 moons of Neptune
* Gaia BH3
* JADES-GS-z14-0
* Water on asteroids
* Porphyrion (radio galaxy)
* 2019 UO14 (First confirmed Saturnian trojan)

| Exoplanets |

* 82 G. Eridani d
* Barnard's Star b
* BX Trianguli b
* Gliese 12 b
* Gliese 341 b
* Gliese 900 b
* HD 48948#Planetary system
* b
* c
* d
* HD 73344
* b
* c
* d
* HD 101581
* b
* c
* HD 63433 d
* IRAS 04125+2902 b
* Kepler-51e
* LHS 1678 d
* SPECULOOS-3 b
* Struve 2398 Ab
* Teegarden's Star d
* TOI-6883 b
* WASP-132d

|

Comets |

* 144P/Kushida
* 12P/Pons-Brooks
* 479P/Elenin
* 13P/Olbers
* C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)
* 333P/LINEAR
* C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos)
* C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
* C/2024 L5 (ATLAS)
* C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)
* C/2024 X1 (Fazekas)

* Outer space portal
* Category:2023 in outer space — Category:2024 in outer space — Category:2025 in outer space

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