Europa Clipper science instruments
To determine if Europa is habitable, Europa Clipper must assess the moon’s interior, composition, and geology.
The spacecraft carries nine science instruments and a gravity experiment that uses the orbiter’s telecommunications system to complete these objectives.
Europa. NASA/JPL-Caltech
One significant new tool Europa Clipper has is an ice-penetrating radar called the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON). This instrument can bounce waves off any liquid water under the surface, creating a kind of CT scan of Europa’s ice shell.
The Mass Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration/Europa (MASPEX) is the most complex and capable instrument of its kind ever flown to the outer solar system. It can “sniff” and analyze Europa’s atmosphere and any gases erupting from beneath the surface.
Another instrument will also directly collect and examine dust at Europa: the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA).
Four instruments will study the moon from a distance across a wide range of the light spectrum, from infrared through visible light to the ultraviolet.
The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) will measure how the surface retains heat, which can provide information about the structure and materials present. It will also look for hot spots from erupting plumes or underground lakes.
The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) collects infrared light to determine the composition of the surface. It will produce the first detailed maps of the many materials and chemical compounds on the surface, including enigmatic reddish material that has intrigued scientists for decades.
The dual-camera Europa Imaging System (EIS) will finish the job started by Voyager and Galileo to map the surface of Europa — at sufficiently high resolution to unravel the mystery of the moon’s intricate and baffling geology.
In addition to investigating Europa’s surface composition, the Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) is a sensitive “plume finder” and will search for active eruptions like those detected by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Two instruments will study Jupiter’s magnetic field and charged particles, or plasma, trapped within that field to provide clues about the structure of Europa’s interior: the Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) and the Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS).
The ECM will measure minute changes in Jupiter’s magnetic field near Europa that can yield information about the size and salinity of Europa’s ocean. Enabling the ECM to fulfill its role, PIMS provides information about the plasma environment around Europa. Together, both instruments will also help scientists better understand Jupiter’s magnetic field and how it interacts with Europa.
A gravity and radio science experiment that analyzes frequency shifts in the spacecraft’s signals to Earth will be able to independently confirm an ocean at Europa and give scientists additional insight into Europa’s interior.
Because each opportunity to fly by Europa is precious, the mission plans for all science instruments to operate simultaneously during each pass. Scientists can then layer the data together to paint the full picture of Europa.
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