Skip Navigation
CLIPPER CAM
icon/broadcasting LIVE
menu close modal

All Resources

Europa Clipper Electromagnetic Testing

NASA’s Europa Clipper, with all of its instruments installed, is visible in the clean room of High Bay 1 at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Jan. 19.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Published: January 30, 2024

NASA’s Europa Clipper, with all of its instruments installed, is visible in the clean room of High Bay 1 at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Jan. 19. The tent around the spacecraft was erected to support electromagnetic testing.

ENLARGE

Related

An engineer handles the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) in the clean room at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dry nitrogen gas is continua...
More
An image showing an engineer handles the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) in the clean room at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dry nitrogen gas is continually pumped through the instrument during assembly and testing to ensure it remains clean and free of contaminants.
Dust Analyzer in the Clean Room
Engineers test one of two high frequency radar antennas for Europa Clipper’s REASON instrument on a hilltop at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
More
Engineers test one of two high frequency radar antennas for Europa Clipper’s REASON instrument on a hilltop at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
REASON HF Radar Antenna
This close-up view of the icy surface of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, was obtained on Dec. 20, 1996, by the Solid State Imaging system on board the Galileo spacecraft during its fourth orbit around J...
More
black and white view of terrain on an icy surface
Close-up of Europa's Surface
The scanning mirror and data processing unit of Europa Clipper’s imaging spectrometer instrument.
More
The scanning mirror and data processing unit of Europa Clipper’s imaging spectrometer instrument, called MISE, are critical to determining the habitability of the ocean that likely resides beneath Europa’s surface.
Imaging Spectrometer's Scanning Mirror and Data Processing Unit
Students use the fundamentals of density to propose a model for the interior structure of Europa.
More
Two clear plastic clubs are visible on a table. The cup visible on the left has sediment on the bottom and water above it. The cup visible on the right has coarse rocks on the bottom and water and ice above it.
Discovering Alien Oceans: Density
In a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, engineers discuss testing for Europa Clipper’s star tracker.
More
In a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mana Salami, guidance and control (G&C) systems engineer (front left) and Herrick Chang, cognizant engineer (front right), discuss testing for Europa Clipper’s star tracker. At far left is G&C hardware engineer Gabrielle Massone. At far right sits quality assurance engineer Shaunessy Grant. Chang, Massone, Grant, and James Alexander (not pictured) escorted the hardware from the Sodern company in France to JPL.
Star Tracker Testing
The bake-out fixture is modified in preparation for the transfer and installation of the harness onto the propulsion module structure. The harness is the cabling that connects all of the electronic...
More
people wearing clean room attire work on the spacecraft's electrical system
Europa Clipper Propulsion Module
These cracks and ridges in the south polar region of Jupiter's moon Europa have been rotated into sigmoidal or "S" shapes by the motion of Astypalaea Linea, a strike-slip fault in the moon's icy su...
More
black and whire view of curving ridges on an icy surface
Cracks and Ridges Distorted by Europan Fault Motion
The SUrface Dust Analyser (SUDA) instrument for Europa Clipper, shown during assembly and testing at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder.
More
The SUrface Dust Analyser (SUDA) instrument for Europa Clipper, shown during assembly and testing at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder.
SUDA Assembly and Testing
This moderate-resolution view of the surface of one of Jupiter's moons, Europa, shows the complex icy crust that has been extensively modified by fracturing and the formation of ridges.
More
black and white view of complex terrain on an icy surface
Europa Ridges, Hills and Domes
Europa Clipper’s dust analyzer shown in a clean room.
More
The gold colored SUDA sensor head is shown resting on a table in a clean room, seen in the center of this image. The cover to the image is shown open in the image, allowing you to see a mesh screen inside the sensor head. A purple light is seen reflecting off part of the sensor head and the table it rests on.
Europa Clipper's Dust Analyzer
A collector assembly that will fly aboard Europa Clipper in one the four PIMS Faraday cups, which will help scientists study the charged particle (plasma) environment around Europa.
More
A collector assembly that will fly aboard Europa Clipper in one the four PIMS Faraday cups, which will help scientists study the charged particle (plasma) environment around Europa.
PIMS Collector Assembly
A 3D model of the Vault Plate.
More
A 3D model of the Vault Plate.
Vault Plate Info Panel
A close-up view of the top of the inward-facing side of the Europa Clipper vault plate. It's engraved with the Drake Equation, and the Jovian system with a bottle replacing Jupiter. 
More
This is a close-up view of the top of the Europa Clipper's triangular-shaped silver vault plate. It has a rounded top and a flat bottom. This view shows the Drake Equation, and a drawing of the Jovian system with Jupiter replaced with a bottle.
Europa Clipper Vault Plate - Inward Facing Top
A plasma instrument sensor assembly is subjected to a simulated electromagnetic interference environment.
More
A plasma instrument sensor assembly is subjected to a simulated electromagnetic interference environment.
Plasma Instrument Electromagnetic Interference Testing
Pwyll crater on Jupiter's moon, Europa, was photographed by the Solid State Imaging system on the Galileo spacecraft during its sixth orbit around Jupiter.
More
black and white view of circular crater on icy surface
Pwyll Crater on Europa
Europa Clipper’s mass spectrometer is examined following delivery to JPL in December 2022.
More
Europa Clipper’s mass spectrometer takes up the left side of this image. The instrument consists of a long cylinder, several feet tall and a couple of inches in diameter. It takes the shape of an automobile spark plug, with a series of ridges visible at the top. Copper plating and wires extend from the instrument in multiple areas. The instrument is installed on a supportive structure. Two engineers are visible on the right side of this image as they look at a laptop while performing tests on the instrument.
Europa Clipper's Mass Spectrometer Delivered to JPL
This image of Europa, smallest of Jupiter's four Galilean satellites, was acquired by Voyager 2 on July 9, 1979
More
half-disc, black and white view of cracked icy surface
Europa's Fractured Surface
This computer-generated perspective view of the Pwyll impact crater on Jupiter's moon Europa was created using images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft.
More
side view of crater showing topography with color representing altitudes
Pwyll Impact Crater: Perspective View of Topographic Model
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s Brandon Perez (mechanical engineer; left) and Bryan Esquivel (technician; right) prepare to install electrical boards into the Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph ...
More
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s Brandon Perez (mechanical engineer; left) and Bryan Esquivel (technician; right) prepare to install electrical boards into the Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) instrument, tipped up to show a top view.
Europa-UVS Electrical Board Installation
An engineer inspects the test setup of the optical telescope assembly for the Europa Imaging System narrow angle camera. 
More
An engineer inspects the test setup of the optical telescope assembly for the Europa Imaging System narrow angle camera.
Europa Imaging System Optical Telescope Assembly
Europa Clipper project scientist Robert Pappalardo presents the Monolith Award to Karla Clark.
More
Europa Clipper project scientist on right presents a black, rectangle-shaped award to Karla Clark, a woman standing on the left.
Europa Clipper Monolith Award
An engineer inspects Europa Clipper's wide-angle camera in a clean room. 
More
An engineer in full white coveralls and a mask stands pointing at Europa Clipper's wide-angle camera, while inspecting the instrument in a clean room. The wide-angle camera rests on a silver metallic table in a clean room.
Europa Imaging System Wide-Angle Camera Delivered to JPL
This view of the Conamara Chaos region on Jupiter's moon Europa taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft shows an area where the icy surface has been broken into many separate plates that have moved late...
More
black and white view of rough terrain on an icy surface
Chaotic Terrain on Europa in Very High Resolution
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
cracked, icy surface in black and white
Europa's Broken Ice