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Buoyant Rover for Under Ice Exploration

Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are developing the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, a technology that could one day explore oceans under the ice layers of planetary bodies. The prototype was tested in arctic lakes near Barrow, Alaska.

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NASA’s Europa Clipper is the first mission dedicated to studying Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, one of the most promising places in our solar system to find an environment suitable for life outside of ...
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Video explaining NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa.
Europa Clipper: Exploring Jupiter's Ocean Moon (Mission Overview)
On its journey to the Jupiter system, NASA's Europa Clipper will take a path that swings past Mars, then Earth, using the gravity of each planet as a slingshot to boost the spacecraft's speed.
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A series of circles shows the winding path Europa Clipper will take to reach Jupiter and its moon, Europa. The Sun is shown as an orange dot in the center of the circle. A blue circle shows the spacecraft's path. The orbits of Earth, Mars, and Jupiter also are depicted by circles. The graphic is annotated with key events on the spacecraft's path.
Europa Clipper's Trajectory to Jupiter
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This graphic shows the expected timeline of milestones immediately following lifto...
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A graphic with a purple curved line bending upward from the bottom left side of the page to show what happens to Europa Clipper after launch. Small illustrations show the rocket at launch, booster separation, stage separations, fairing jettison, parking orbit, rocket burns to boost the spaceship toward Jupiter, and finally separation of the spacecraft from the remaining piece of the launch vehicle. A table on the right side of the illustration gives times for each of the events depicted by the graphic.
Europa Clipper Launch Ascent Timeline
Depicted in this artist's concept against an illustration of a basketball court, Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission.
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A dark gray model of Europa Clipper hovers above a yellowish orange illustration of a basketball court.
Europa Clipper: NASA's Largest Planetary Spacecraft (Artist's Concept)
Scientists think that under the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa a saltwater ocean exists that may contain more than twice as much liquid water as all of Earth's oceans combined.
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A side view of what Europa what look like if we could slice into it. There's beige, and white crust with reddish streaks and plumes erupting. Below the crust is a blue ocean on top of a brown crust with a reddish hotspot in the lower left corner.
Europa's Mysterious Interior (Artist's Concept)
NASA's Europa Clipper will study Jupiter's moon Europa up close. Europa orbits the gas giant within a band of powerful radiation generated by the planet's strong magnetic field. The relative intens...
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The orbits of Jupiter's four largest moons are shown with dark circles. A hazy, blueish Jupiter is in the center of the image. Red, gold, and beige bands around Jupiter illustrate the intensity of the planet's radiation bands. A blue ellipse shows the path Europa Clipper will take as it makes close passes over Europa.
Europa Clipper's Elliptical Orbit (Artist's Concept)
This artist's concept depicts the long, looping path NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will take to reach the Jupiter system. 
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An illustration with purple, white, red, and blue circles showing the path of the silver Europa Clipper spacecraft as it travels to the Jupiter system. The blue circle shows the spacecraft's gravity assist at Earth, the red circle shows the spacecraft's path around Mars, and the purple path shows the spacecraft arriving at Jupiter. The spacecraft is shown on the white circle nearing Jupiter. In the center of the image is our Sun shown in yellowish orange.
Europa Clipper's Looping Journey to Jupiter (Artist's Concept)
Meet Dipak Srinivasan, a communications systems engineer for NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft.
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Video about an engineer that works on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft.
NASA Job: Communications Systems Engineer — Behind the Spacecraft: Europa Clipper
Technicians prepare to install the high-gain antenna on NASA’s Europa Clipper at Kennedy Space Center on June 17, 2024.
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Workers in blue overalls and white head covers guide Europa Clipper's high gain antenna as it's installed on the spacecraft.
Europa Clipper High Gain Antenna Install
Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center guide Europa Clipper as a crane hoists the spacecraft on May 28, 2024.
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Workers in blue overalls and white head covers help guide Europa Clipper as a crane hoists it as part of prelaunch processing.
Europa Clipper Rotated at KSC
Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepare to rotate Europa Clipper to a vertical position on May 28, 2024, as part of prelaunch processing. 
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Workers in blue overalls and white head covers watch as equipment is used to rotate Europa Clipper.
Europa Clipper Spacecraft Rotate to Vertical, Lift and Mate to Work Stand
How was NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft packed and shipped from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to Kennedy Space Center in Florida?
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A video explaining how NASA ships a large spacecraft across the country.
How Do You Deliver a 7,000-Pound Spacecraft?
Europa Clipper rolls into the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on May 23, 2024.
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Europa Clipper is rolled into the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility while workers stand nearby.
Europa Clipper Rolls Into KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility
A U.S. Air Force transport plane carrying Europa Clipper arrives Kennedy Space Center on May 23, 2024.
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A green transport airplane carrying Europa Clipper sits on the runway in Florida.
Europa Clipper Transport Plane Arrives in Florida
Technicians offload NASA's Europa Clipper from a U.S. Air Force transport aircraft at Kennedy Space Center on May 23, 2024.
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The back of a green transport aircraft is open like a giant duck's bill, and the shipping container hold Europa Clipper can be seen sitting inside. A ramp extends from the back of the plane. Workers are giving hand signals as they guide the shipping container off the plane.
Europa Clipper Arrives in Florida
The Europa Clipper spacecraft is about 16 feet (5 meters) in height, and will be the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.
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An illustration shows the scale of the Europa Clipper spacecraft by showing it next to the silhouettes of two people. The two human figures stand to the left of the spacecraft. The spacecraft, with its metallic main body at the center and its two solar array wings stretched out on either side, is about three times as tall as the human figures.
Europa Clipper and People
With its solar arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans more than 100 feet (about 30.5 meters) – about the length of a basketball court. 
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An illustration shows the scale of the Europa Clipper spacecraft by superimposing it on a standard basketball court. The spacecraft appears to hover over the surface of the court while spectators look on. The spacecraft, with its metallic main body at the center and its two solar array wings stretched out on either side, is about the same length as the court.
Europa Clipper Compared to a Basketall Court
Everywhere there’s water on Earth, there’s life. Does that hold true elsewhere in our solar system?
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Video describing the science of the Europa Clipper mission.
Why Does NASA Want to Explore Jupiter's Ocean Moon?
How did the team working on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft test whether the spacecraft will work properly in outer space?
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Video showing Europa Clipper undergoing testing in a special chamber to simulate conditions in space.
Spacecraft Makers: Simulating Space to Test Europa Clipper
The vault plate just before being installed on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.
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The triangular-shaped silver-colored Europa Clipper Europa Clipper vault plate is covered in a protective plastic bag with a clear front and silver back. There is a bit of gold tape in the upper left corner, and a white label on the bag.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate: Your Name is Here
The vault plate is installed on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.
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The triangular-shaped, silver-colored vault plate can be seen attached to the Europa Clipper spacecraft. Two metal bars cross in front of the plate. Several screws can be seen holding the plate to the spacecraft. Orange colored wires run alongside the other equipment on the spacecraft.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate Installed
Engineers and technicians attach the vault plate to NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.
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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
Engineers and technicians move the vault plate into position for installation on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.
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Two technicians in white protective clothing hold the Europa Clipper Vault Plate as they position it for installation on the spacecraft.
Placing the Europa Clipper Vault Plate
Engineers and technicians move the vault plate into position for installation on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024. 
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Two workers in white protective clothing hold the triangular-shaped silver-colored vault plate near the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate Positioned
A technician prepares to attach the vault plate to NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024. 
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A technician in white protective clothing holds the triangular-shaped, silver-colored vault plate over a black box sitting on a work table with lots of tools around it. Another worker in protective clothing holds a video camera to record the moment.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate Lifted