Europa Clipper: on its way to explore the habitability of an icy moon of Jupiter

Promising evidence suggests that Europa has an ocean beneath its surface. Previous missions and studies suggest that this Jovian moon may have potential energy sources. However, several questions remained: could chemistry on Europa allow the emergence of life? And if so, could these conditions persist long enough for life to develop?

Check the habitability criteria

The Europa Clipper mission will seek to answer these habitability questions by focusing on four main criteria: the presence of liquid water, an energy source, suitable chemistry and sufficient temporal stability. What is habitability of a planet or a moon? How will the probe explore these criteria? Answers with Ines Belgacem, planetologist and researcher at Aurora Technology for ESA. She works on the Europa Clipper EIS camera and is also responsible for scientific missions for the JUICE probe.