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Ridges on Europa

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Vault Plate Info Panel

A 3D model of the Vault Plate.

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Page Updated: March 8, 2024

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In this movie Europa is seen in a cutaway view through two cycles of its 3.5 day orbit about the giant planet Jupiter.

cutaway illustration of moon's interior, with Jupiter in the background

Europa Tide Movie

This view of Cilix impact crater on Europa was created in 2013 using 3-D stereo images.

3-D Cilix Crater on Europa

Europa Clipper's propulsion module arrives in a shipping container at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Europa Clipper's propulsion module in its shipping container

Europa Clipper Propulsion Module

Recently assembled Faraday cup sensors and instrument housings in two configurations.

PIMS Faraday Cup Sensors

PIMS Faraday Cup Sensors

Dr. Kurt Retherford, Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) instrument Principal Investigator, took the top off the instrument in the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s clean room faciliti...

Dr. Kurt Retherford, Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) instrument Principal Investigator, took the top off the instrument in the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s clean room facilities to reveal Europa-UVS optics, detector and detector electronics installed and aligned, with numerous cables and mechanisms also in place.

Europa-UVS Assembly

A 3D model of the Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS), an imager on Europa Clipper.

3D model of the E-THEMIS instrument

This simulation shows possible spectroscopy results of Europa’s water plumes, obtained using the Webb telescope’s NIRSpec instrument.

Possible spectroscopy results of Europa’s water plumes

Possible Spectroscopy Results of Europa Using Webb

Europa Clipper’s bowl-shaped high-gain antenna faces down in this image.

Europa Clipper’s bowl-shaped high-gain antenna faces down in this image.

High-Gain Antenna Communications Dish

Explore Europa and the Europa Clipper spacecraft with an immersive AR experience.

The Europa Clipper augmented reality experience layers Jupiter's moon Europa over any surface or background. The moon has options for the user to click on specific items to learn more information, such as the ingredients for life: water, energy, and chemistry. Following that, users an view a 3D model of the spacecraft and select individual instruments. Each section is narrated with audio.

ClipperAR: Europa Clipper Augmented Reality Experience

This high resolution mosaic shows ridges, plains and mountains on Europa.

A high resolution mosaic in black and white.

Ridges, Plains and Mountains

Artist’s illustration of Jupiter and Europa (in the foreground) with the Galileo spacecraft after its pass through a plume erupting from Europa’s surface.

Artist’s illustration of Jupiter and Europa (in the foreground) with the Galileo .

Europa Scene: Plume, Galileo, Magnetic Field

Engineers test components for Europa Clipper’s radar instrument.

Engineers test components for Europa Clipper’s radar instrument.

Radar Test Time-Lapse

A 3D model of Europa Clipper’s Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS), a spectrometry instrument on Europa Clipper.

3D model of the europa-uvs instrument

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...

people wearing clean room attire work on the spacecraft's electrical system

Europa Clipper Propulsion Module

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.

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

The vault plate is installed on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft on May 3, 2024.

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

This animation segment shows the deployment of NASA’s Europa Clipper solar arrays after launch.

An animation showing Europa Clipper's solar arrays extend from a folded position on each side of the spacecraft, to be fully extended. When fully extended, the spacecraft is approximately as wide as a basketball court.

Mission Animation: Solar Arrays Deployment

The Europa Clipper radio frequency (RF) panel is mechanically installed near the top of the propulsion module cylinders.

Image showing the radio frequency module installed on the top of the spacecraft's propulsion module.

Radio Frequency Module Integration

Europa Clipper’s dust analyzer shown in a clean room.

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

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.

Shown is 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. MISE will map the distribution of ices, salts, organics, and the warmest hotspots on Europa. In collaboration with the spacecraft’s other instruments – particularly the visible light cameras and ice-penetrating radar – infrared maps from MISE will help scientists understand Europa’s geologic history, which is one of the key characteristics that will help scientists determine if Europa’s suspected ocean is suitable for life.

An engineer removes protective plastic wrap from Europa Clipper's propulsion module.

An engineer removes protective plastic wrap from Europa Clipper's propulsion module in a cleanroom.

Europa Clipper Propulsion Module

Europa Clipper rolls into the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on May 23, 2024.

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 close-up view of the poem on the Europa Clipper vault plate’s inward-facing side.

This is a close-up view of the poem on the Europa Clipper vault plate’s inward-facing side. It shows a handwritten poem in elegant script, and an engraved portrait of man to the left of the poem.

Europa Clipper Vault Plate - Poem Close-Up

Engineers inspect Europa Clipper’s narrow-angle camera.

Two workers are standing beside the Europa Clipper’s narrow-angle camera (NAC), which is on a metal platform with rods sticking straight up at the corners of the platform. The workers are covered head-to-toe in mostly white protective clothing called bunny suits, and they are wearing bright blue face masks. One worker is leaning toward the NAC and pointing to the NAC, which is wrapped in silver-colored insulating material. The NAC has a round base about the size of tire. The lens is sticking out at an angle.

Europa Clipper's Narrow-Angle Camera Delivered to JPL

Reddish spots and shallow pits pepper the enigmatic ridged surface of Europa.

Image of Europa surface

Ruddy "Freckles" on Europa

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