NASA on its toes as Juno set to offer closest views of Jupiter's moon Europa in 22 years

NASA is excited about its Juno spacecraft as it is set to fly by Europa, Jupiter’s moon, on September 29, offering the closest views of the icy world in over 22 years. Juno will get as close as around 350 kilometres above Europa’s surface, making it the second after NASA’s Galileo probe which skimmed over the Moon from 351 kilometres back in January 2000.

Launched in 2011, Juno entered the orbit of Jupiter in 2016 and apart from studying the atmosphere, gravity and magnetic fields of the gas giant, the spacecraft made flybys near its Moons including Europa and Ganymede. 

"We’ve already completed all the preparations. We’re really excited. Everything is on target,”  Scott Bolton, the Juno mission’s principal investigator, said as per New Scientist. Bolton explained that Juno's flyby will be much better than the one conducted by Galileo as the latter was unable to gather much data on the Jovian Moon's nightside. Equipped with a suite of nine instruments, the spacecraft will use its JunoCam to gather high-resolution on Europa's nightside where the scattered light from Jupiter’s cloud tops is the only source of illumination.

While the crust of Europa is made of ice, astronomers believe that this Moon harbours an ocean underneath that has more water than our planet. Notably, these speculations will be cleared when NASA launches its Europa Clipper mission in 2024.

About NASA's Europa Clipper

NASA is targeting the launch of Europa Clipper in October 2024 to examine Europa's oceans where scientists believe conditions are suitable for life. The mission spacecraft, which is currently at the key stages of development, will conduct 50 flybys near the Moon to examine its atmosphere, surface, and interior. 

Just like Juno, this spacecraft too will be equipped with a suite of nine science instruments. Moreover, Europa Clipper measures 10 feet tall and five feet wide and once equipped with solar panels, it will stretch to the length of a basketball court. The spacecraft is currently in the cleaning room of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Spacecraft Assembly Facility where it will undergo ultra-hygienic assembly for the next two years.