Skip Navigation
menu close modal

All Resources

Engineers Inspect Europa Clipper's Ultraviolet Spectrograph

Image showing engineers inspecting the spacecraft's ultraviolet spectrograph in a cleanroom.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Published: March 3, 2022

Engineers inspect Europa Clipper's ultraviolet spectrograph (called Europa-UVS) in a cleanroom at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, following the delivery of the instrument from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Related content pages

ENLARGE

Related

Thermal imager test for focus and optical quality.
More
Two engineers at a computer.
Thermal Imager Test
An identical copy of Europa Clipper's propulsion module and electronics vault is lowered by crane in a static test tower.
More
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Europa Clipper's Developmental Test Model
This view of Jupiter's icy moon Europa shows a region shaped like a mitten that has a texture similar to the matrix of chaotic terrain, which is seen in medium and high resolution images of numerou...
More
black and white view of depression in an surface
Mitten Shaped Region of Chaotic Terrain on Europa
This artist's concept shows a simulated view from the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Europa's potentially rough, icy surface, tinged with reddish areas that scientists hope to learn more about, ...
More
field of icy boulders with jupiter rising over the horizon
Simulated View from Europa's Surface (Artist's Concept)
The SUDA instrument undergoes dust acceleration testing. 
More
Video showing engineers handling the SUDA instrument as it is loaded into a vacuum chamber for dust testing and then moved back to a clean room.
SUDA Dust Test Timelapse
Europa Clipper's developmental test model sits on a flatbed truck at NASA's Jet Propulsion laboratory on its way to structural testing.
More
A shiny metal cylinder 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide and 16 feet (5 meters) tall stands erect on the flatbed of a truck.
Europa Clipper's Developmental Test Model
Europa Clipper's propulsion module sits in the cleanroom at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
More
Europa Clipper's propulsion module sits in the cleanroom at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Europa Clipper Propulsion Module
Engineers and technicians lift the tall core of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft during a maneuver to position it in the High Bay 1 clean room of the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at the agency’s Je...
More
In the center of the image, the main body of the Europa Clipper spacecraft hangs from a yellow crane in a large, multistoried cleanroom with white walls and a white ceiling. Six engineers in full-body coveralls and masks stand around the base of the main body as it hangs from the crane, with some working on the main body. In the distance, a viewing gallery is visible with four people watching the activities taking place.
The Lift: NASA's Europa Clipper Moves into Position
Jupiter's moon Europa, as seen in this image taken June 27, 1996 by NASA's Galileo spacecraft, displays features in some areas resembling ice floes seen in Earth's polar seas.
More
black and white view of circular features on icy surface
Europa Ice Floes
The animation reveals how the Europa Clipper spacecraft’s own magnetic sources distort the ambient magnetic field near Europa.
More
animation of the complex magnetic fields of the Europa Clipper spacecraft
Europa Clipper Spacecraft Distortion of the Ambient Magnetic Field
The Propulsion Module Development Test Model lower cylinder section undergoes a static load test in a cleanroom at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. 
More
The Propulsion Module Development Test Model lower cylinder section undergoes a static load test in a cleanroom at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
Propulsion Module Development Test Model
Mihaela Ballarotto samples Europa Clipper's propulsion module for planetary protection cleanliness prior to harness installation. 
More
sampling of the propulsion module in the clean room
Europa Clipper Propulsion Module
Engineers and technicians attach the vault plate to NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.
More
A worker dressed in white protective clothing uses an orange-handled screwdriver to turn a screw attaching the triangular-shaped silver-colored vault plate to Europa Clipper. Wires and other parts of the spacecraft are visible. Another worker dressed in white and blue head cover looks on.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate Screw Turned
In this time-lapse video, engineers test components for Europa Clipper’s radar instrument in 2018 at a testing range — “the Mesa” — at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Cred...
More
timelapse video of Europa Clipper instrument components
Europa Clipper Antennae Test
Europa Clipper's ultraviolet spectrograph is delivered to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
More
Europa Clipper's ultraviolet spectrograph is delivered to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Ultraviolet Spectrograph Delivered to JPL
Engineers and technicians work on the flight model of Europa Clipper’s Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) instrument in a cleanroom at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern...
More
Engineers and technicians work on the flight model of Europa Clipper’s Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) instrument in a cleanroom at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The instrument’s housing and some other components were manufactured in machine shops at JPL, where the instrument is being built and tested. Some of the spacecraft’s other science instruments and hardware are being built and tested at partner institutions around the U.S. and abroad. As with Europa Clipper’s other science instruments, MISE was designed specifically to help determine if Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa is habitable.
MISE in Clean Room
This high resolution image of the icy crust of Europa reveals a surface crisscrossed by multiple sets of ridges and fractures. 
More
Various linear ridges on Europa as seen from orbit.
Europa's Crisscrossed Ridges and Fractures
Europa Clipper’s ultraviolet spectrograph is the first science instrument installed on the spacecraft’s nadir deck.
More
A matte-gray polygonal structure about the size of a coffee table sits on end in a white and gray room, and an electronics box is mounted to the structure’s right side.
Ultraviolet Spectrograph Integration
The nadir deck for NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft. 
More
Nadir deck shown in clean room.
Europa Clipper's Nadir Deck
The propulsion module harness, installed onto a bake-out fixture, is rolled up to the propulsion module in preparation for transfer and installation. The harness is the cabling that connects all of...
More
people working on the spacecraft in the clean room
Europa Clipper Propulsion Module
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón is writing an original poem dedicated to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.
More
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón is standing on the right side of this image, wearing a dark blue suit and looking to the left. A glass wall separates Limón from the clean room, which is visible on the left side of the image. In the distance, the Europa Clipper is visible as it is being assembled in the clean room. It is in a horizontal position with scaffolding surrounding it. Approximately nine engineers are visible near the spacecraft wearing white full-body coveralls.
Poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Will Ride to Europa on NASA Spacecraft
This image of Jupiter's satellite Europa was obtained from a range of 7,364 miles (11,851 kilometers) by the Galileo spacecraft during its fourth orbit around Jupiter and its first close pass of Eu...
More
ridges on an icy surface
Prominent Doublet Ridges on Europa
This image of Europa was taken by the Galileo spacecraft under "low-Sun" illumination.
More
Shadowy hills on Europa
Terrain Shadows on Europa
Mechanical engineers set up Europa Clipper's Wide Angle Camera outside of a thermal-vacuum chamber.
More
Mechanical engineers set up Europa Clipper's Wide Angle Camera outside of a thermal-vacuum chamber.
Europa Imaging System Wide Angle Camera
Engineers removing Europa Clipper's propulsion module from its shipping container.
More
Engineers removing Europa Clipper's propulsion module from its shipping container
Europa Clipper Propulsion Module