The main body of the spacecraft 'Europa Clipper' that searches the life of Jupiter's moon Europa is completed

NASA reported that the main body of the ' Europa Clipper ' used in the search for Jupiter's moon

NASA Completes Main Body of Europa Clipper Spacecraft – Will Search for Life on Jupiter's Icy Moon Europa
https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-completes-main-body-of-europa-clipper-spacecraft-will-search-for-life-on-jupiters-icy-moon-europa/

Main Body of NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Arrives at JPL from APL --YouTube


Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, is covered with a thick ice shell, and it is certain that there is a vast 'inland sea' underneath, which is estimated to be twice the amount of the Earth's ocean. Astrobiologists have sought to scrutinize Europa, as the ocean can be life-threatening. 'Europa Clipper' is an exploration ship that fulfills that dream.

The size of the main body is about 3m x 1.5m, which is about the size of an SUV. It is made of aluminum and is equipped with various equipment such as observation equipment to check whether Europa is in a suitable condition for sustaining life. Some equipment, such as an array for solar power generation, is folded at the time of launch, and when deployed, it expands to the size of a basketball court, making it the largest spacecraft for planetary missions that NASA has developed in the past. That thing.

Even after the main body is completed, equipment is being installed and tested, and it is expected that all flight equipment and scientific equipment will be completed by the end of 2022. The launch is scheduled for October 2024, and a full-scale investigation is scheduled to begin in Europa from 2031. The number of flybys flying near Europa is about 50.