{"id":113946,"date":"2024-10-14T06:38:52","date_gmt":"2024-10-13T23:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113946"},"modified":"2024-10-14T06:38:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T23:38:52","slug":"can-life-exist-on-an-icy-moon-nasas-europa-clipper-aims-to-find-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113946","title":{"rendered":"Can Life Exist on an Icy Moon? NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper Aims to Find Out"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>With a spacecraft launching soon, the mission will try to answer the question of whether there are ingredients suitable for life in the ocean below Europa\u2019s icy crust.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Deep down, in an ocean beneath its ice shell, Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa might be temperate and nutrient-rich, an ideal environment for some form of life \u2014 what scientists would call \u201chabitable.\u201d NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper mission aims to find out.<\/p>\n<p>NASA now is targeting launch no earlier than Monday, Oct. 14, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>Europa Clipper\u2019s elongated, looping orbit around Jupiter will minimize the spacecraft\u2019s exposure to intense radiation while allowing it to dive in for close passes by Europa. Using a formidable array of instruments for each of the mission\u2019s 49 flybys, scientists will be able to \u201csee\u201d how thick the moon\u2019s icy shell is and gain a deeper understanding of the vast ocean beneath. They\u2019ll inventory material on the surface that might have come up from below, search for the fingerprints of organic compounds that form life\u2019s building blocks, and sample any gases ejected from the moon for evidence of habitability.<\/p>\n<p>Mission scientists will analyze the results, probing beneath the moon\u2019s frozen shell for signs of a water world capable of supporting life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important to us to paint a picture of what that alien ocean is like \u2014 the kind of chemistry or even biochemistry that could be happening there,\u201d said Morgan Cable, an astrobiologist and member of the Europa Clipper science team at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission.<\/p>\n<p>Central to that work is hunting for the types of salts, ices, and organic material that make up the key ingredients of a habitable world. That\u2019s where an imager called <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/mise\/\" rel=\"noopener\">MISE<\/a> (Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa) comes in. Operating in the infrared, the spacecraft\u2019s MISE divides reflected light into various wavelengths to identify the corresponding atoms and molecules.<\/p>\n<p>The mission will also try to locate potential hot spots near Europa\u2019s surface, where plumes could bring deep ocean material closer to the surface, using an instrument called <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/e-themis\/\" rel=\"noopener\">E-THEMIS<\/a> (Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System), which also operates in the infrared.<\/p>\n<p>Capturing sharply detailed pictures of Europa\u2019s surface with both a narrow and a wide-image camera is the task of the <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/eis\/\" rel=\"noopener\">EIS<\/a> (Europa Imaging System). \u201cThe EIS imagers will give us incredibly high-resolution images to understand how Europa\u2019s surface evolved and is continuing to change,\u201d Cable said.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Cassini<\/a> mission spotted a <a href=\"mailto:https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/cassini\/cassini-at-enceladus-a-decade-plus-of-discovery\/\">giant plume of water vapor<\/a> erupting from multiple jets near the south pole of Saturn\u2019s ice-covered moon Enceladus. Europa may also emit misty plumes of water, pulled from its ocean or reservoirs in its shell. Europa Clipper\u2019s instrument called <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/europa-uvs\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Europa-UVS<\/a> (Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph) will search for plumes and can study any material that might be venting into space.<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not Europa has plumes, the spacecraft carries two instruments to analyze the small amount of gas and dust particles ejected from the moon\u2019s surface by impacts with micrometeorites and high-energy particles: <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/maspex\/\" rel=\"noopener\">MASPEX<\/a> (MAss SPectrometer for Planetary EXploration\/Europa) and <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/suda\/\" rel=\"noopener\">SUDA<\/a> (SUrface Dust Analyzer) will capture the tiny pieces of material ejected from the surface, turning them into charged particles to reveal their composition. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe spacecraft will study gas and grains coming off Europa by sticking out its tongue and tasting those grains, breathing in those gases,\u201d said Cable.<\/p>\n<p>The mission will look at Europa\u2019s external and internal structure in various ways, too, because both have far-reaching implications for the moon\u2019s habitability.<\/p>\n<p>To gain insights into the ice shell\u2019s thickness and the ocean\u2019s existence, along with its depth and salinity, the mission will measure the moon\u2019s induced magnetic field with the <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/ecm\/\" rel=\"noopener\">ECM<\/a> (Europa Clipper Magnetometer) and combine that data with measurements of electrical currents from charged particles flowing around Europa \u2014 data provided by <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/pims\/\" rel=\"noopener\">PIMS<\/a> (Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding).<\/p>\n<p>In addition, scientists will look for details on everything from the presence of the ocean to the structure and topography of the ice using <a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\/reason\/\" rel=\"noopener\">REASON<\/a> (Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding to Near-surface), which will peer up to 18 miles (29 kilometers) into the shell \u2014 itself a potentially habitable environment. Measuring the changes that Europa\u2019s gravity causes in radio signals should help nail down ice thickness and ocean depth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNon-icy materials on the surface could get moved into deep interior pockets of briny water within the icy shell,\u201d said Steve Vance, an astrobiologist and geophysicist who also is a member of the Europa Clipper science team at JPL. \u201cSome might be large enough to be considered lakes, or at least ponds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Using the data gathered to inform extensive computer modeling of Europa\u2019s interior structure also could reveal the ocean\u2019s composition and allow estimates of its temperature profile, Vance said.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever conditions are discovered, the findings will open a new chapter in the search for life beyond Earth. \u201cIt\u2019s almost certain Europa Clipper will raise as many questions or more than it answers \u2014 a whole different class than the ones we\u2019ve been thinking of for the last 25 years,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n<p>Europa Clipper\u2019s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon\u2019s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission\u2019s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about the science instruments aboard Europa Clipper and the institutions provide them, visit:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\/spacecraft\/instruments<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p>Find more information about Europa here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Gretchen McCartney<br \/>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.\u00a0<br \/>818-393-6215\u00a0<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/europa-clipper\/can-life-exist-on-an-icy-moon-nasas-europa-clipper-aims-to-find-out\/mailto:gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov\">gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Karen Fox \/ Molly Wasser<br \/>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br \/>202-358-1600<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/europa-clipper\/can-life-exist-on-an-icy-moon-nasas-europa-clipper-aims-to-find-out\/mailto:karen.c.fox@nasa.gov\">karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/europa-clipper\/can-life-exist-on-an-icy-moon-nasas-europa-clipper-aims-to-find-out\/mailto:molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov\">molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Written by Pat Brennan<\/p>\n<p>2024-138<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/europa-clipper\/can-life-exist-on-an-icy-moon-nasas-europa-clipper-aims-to-find-out\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a spacecraft launching soon, the mission will try to answer the question of whether there are ingredients suitable for life in the ocean below Europa\u2019s icy crust. Deep down, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113946\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=113946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113946\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=113946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=113946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=113946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}