Three workers in white lab coats, cleanroom bouffant caps, and blue face masks watch as Europa Clipper’s magnetometer boom is tested. Part of the equipment holding the boom can be seen in front of the workers.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Published: June 7, 2023

The Europa Clipper team deploys a 28-foot (8.5-meter) boom that will support the spacecraft's magnetometer sensors. To fit aboard the rocket, the boom will be stowed in a canister. It will deploy to its full length in the days after launch. The magnetometer should allow scientists to confirm the existence of Europa’s ocean, and measure its depth and salinity. The instrument will also measure the ice shell’s thickness.

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