Europa Clipper Spacecraft Distortion of the Ambient Magnetic Field

The animation reveals how the Europa Clipper spacecraft’s own magnetic sources distort the ambient magnetic field near Europa, which the Europa Clipper Magnetometer seeks to measure. In addition to quantitative assessments of the magnetic field contributions from individual sources onboard the spacecraft, the science team will carry out regular calibrations while in orbit around Jupiter by performing spacecraft rolls. Moreover, the magnetic field will be measured by three sensors mounted at different distances from the spacecraft along the boom, to reduce these sources of error. These calibrations will help the Europa Clipper Magnetometer team determine the properties of Europa’s ocean.