NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft passes a series of important tests

On March 27, the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the Europa Clipper spacecraft had passed a series of difficult tests at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

According to the plan, in less than 6 months, NASA will launch Europa Clipper on a 2.6 billion km journey to Europa Moon - a moon of Jupiter.

Europa Clipper spacecraft model at NASA's laboratory in California, USA on April 11, 2023. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)

According to NASA, Clipper Europa's journey will have to overcome many difficulties on the journey, including intense vibrations during the rocket launch process, the harsh hot and cold environment of space and the large radiation of space. Jupiter.

The good news is that E uropa Clipper has passed a series of tests simulating the harsh environment the ship will face during its journey.

It is expected that by the end of this spring, Europa Clipper will be brought to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A team of engineers and technicians will carry out the final preparations. NASA plans to launch Europa Clipper on October 10.

After launch, the spacecraft will head towards Mars and in December 2025 the spacecraft will arrive close enough to Mars to be able to take advantage of the planet's gravity to help increase momentum. Europa Clipper will reach Jupiter in 2030.

NASA said Europa Clipper's main mission is to explore Jupiter's moon Europa to identify locations capable of supporting life beneath the planet's icy surface.

According to NASA, the mission's goals include studying Europa's icy shell thickness, surface interaction with the ocean, and the planet's composition and geology.