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NASA Hosts Live Science Chat about Europa Findings

Source: NASA
Published: May 22, 2018

NASA hosted a Science Chat May 14 to discuss the latest analysis of Jupiter’s moon Europa and its status as one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for life.

The event aired live on NASA Television, Facebook Live, Twitch TV, Ustream, YouTube, Twitter/Periscope and the agency's website. Europa has long been a high priority for exploration because beneath its icy crust lies a salty, liquid water ocean. NASA’s Europa Clipper, targeted to launch in 2022, will be equipped with the instruments necessary to determine whether Europa possesses the ingredients necessary to support life as we know it.

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Europa Clipper’s surface dust analyzer instrument is unboxed following delivery to JPL in September 2022. 
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Two engineers in full white body coveralls and masks are shown in the center of the image lifting a silver box up from a cart, revealing Europa Clipper’s surface dust analyzer instrument underneath. The engineers and the instrument are seen in a cleanroom. The instrument is surrounded by a semi-transparent protective plastic that is in the shape of the box that was covering it. The gold colored instrument is about the size of a drum.
Europa Clipper's Dust Analyzer Delivered to JPL
The icy surface of Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, was photographed by the Galileo spacecraft on its fourth orbit around Jupiter. 
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Agenor Linea is unique in that it is similar in width and length to dark bands seen in the northern hemisphere, but it is bright in color rather than dark.
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The Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) flight instrument in early fall 2021, in its final configuration.
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A 3D black-and-white flyover of Europa's surface.
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The animation shows the geometry of the magnetic field created within Europa’s subsurface ocean as Europa moves through Jupiter’s magnetic field.
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This animation shows NASA’s Europa Clipper during a flyby of Europa.
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A 3D black-and-white flyover of Europa's surface.
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Europa Clipper’s surface dust analyzer instrument was delivered to JPL in September 2022. 
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A large group of engineers in full white body coveralls stand surrounding Europa Clipper’s surface dust analyzer. All the engineers are giving a “thumbs up” hand gesture to indicate that the instrument was successfully delivered. Nine engineers stand to the left of a silver workbench, on which the instrument rests, and six stand to the right of the workbench. The instrument is gold colored and about the size of a drum, resting on its side. The instrument is resting upon a silver workbench in the cleanroom.
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The SUDA instrument undergoes dust acceleration testing. 
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Esto es lo que necesitas saber sobre Europa.
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En las profundidades de la luna congelada de Júpiter, Europa, se encuentra un océano gigante de agua líquida. Explorar este mundo oceánico, y lo que hay debajo de él, podría ofrecernos pistas en nuestra búsqueda de vida más allá de la Tierra. Esto es lo que necesitas saber sobre Europa.
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The optical head for Europa Clipper’s stellar reference unit, or star tracker, in a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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