Europa Clipper
The largest planetary spacecraft NASA has built, its solar arrays spanning 30.5 metres to collect enough sunlight at Jupiter's distance. It will make about 50 close flybys of Europa to find out whether the ocean under its ice could support life, with nine instruments including an ice-penetrating radar. Launched on a Falcon Heavy in October 2024, it uses flybys of Mars and Earth to reach Jupiter in 2030.
Key figures
- Builder
- NASA JPL, Johns Hopkins APL
- Status
- In service
- First flight
- 2024
- Height
- 5 m
- Span
- 30.5 m
- Mass at launch
- 6.07 t