SCIENCE OF THE NASA EUROPA MISSION

The Europa Multiple Flyby Mission, in formulation for launch in the 2020s, would investigate the habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The mission would send a solar-powered, radiation-tolerant spacecraft into an elliptical orbit about Jupiter to conduct more than 40 close flybys of Europa, most in the range 25 km–100 km. The payload comprises a suite of nine science instruments that together would support three key objectives: detailed investigation of Europa's interior, both its internal ocean (including its salinity and depth) and its ice shell (including thickness and potential water pockets within); composition of the icy surface, notably dark reddish areas that may evince linkages between the ocean and the surface; and geology at the regional and local scales, especially areas that may show signs of recent or current activity. NASA is exploring the option of a subsequent landed mission to Europa. The science objectives and project status will be summarized.