NASA’s Europa Clipper to explore Jupiter’s icy moon

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch today on a mission to scrutinize one of the most intriguing worlds in our solar system, the ice-encrusted moon of Jupiter. Ever since the Voyager probes captured images in the 1970s hinting at water beneath Europa’s icy surface, scientists have been buzzing about its potential for life. But the $5 billion mission, which is expected to take five and a half years, is not a life-detection mission. The Washington Post’s Joel Achenbach explains. Read more: clipper washpost&rlz=1C5GCCM_en&oq=europa clipper washpost&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIKCAEQLhixAxiABDIQCAIQABiDARixAxiABBiKBTIKCAMQABixAxiABDIKCAQQABixAxiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIQCAcQABiDARixAxiABBiKBTIHCAgQABiABNIBCDQwNjFqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#:~:text=Scientists discover new,2018/05/14. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: Follow us: Twitter: