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NASA is at it once again. The space study organization has approved a launch date and vehicle that will carry out an intensive study of extraterrestrial life on Europa.
This mission is in the wake of scientists claims that the moon is the next line of search for an environment that offers a conducive environment for terrestrial life.
When Is the Launch date?
The spacecraft that will help transport the team to this location will launch in October 2024 and arrive back in April 2030. So, this leaves the group of scientists and everyone working on this mission with well over 3 years to plan.
In the time being, the spacecraft that will be engaged – Europa Clipper; and every other logistical arrangement will be well taken care of. It is a known fact that the spacecraft and the astronauts will be subject to various levels of simulation to replicate what is expected in Europa - where they will be headed for.
Changes to Initial Plan
The initial plan by the NASA team was to take off with the renowned NASA Space Launch System (SLS). The decision was overruled which has led to the choice of the Europa Clipper, which offers more commercial features.
The change and other shared details about the space project came from the project scientist – Robert Pappalardo. The announcement was made via a meeting with OPAG (Outer Planets Assessment Group) of NASA. However, the meeting took place virtually but spared no detail in addressing what needed to be addressed about the project.
What Inspired the Mission?
This mission to critically study extraterrestrial life in Europa was born in the wake of observation in 1990. The renowned Galileo Spacecraft proved that there was an ocean with liquid water under the outer shell of its environment. This is even though Europa has a core that is very rocky.
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