Europa Clipper's Thermal Imaging System was Tested Here on Earth - By Nancy_A
The highly anticipated Europa Clipper mission, set to launch in 2024, will investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa. This icy moon with a subsurface ocean is considered one of the most enticing places in our Solar System where life might exist. To look beneath Europa’s icy crust, the Clipper mission has a host of instruments looking for plumes and ‘hot spots.’recently passed a major testing hurdle recently by capturing its “first light” images with its infrared camera.
“The surface of Europa is extremely cold, but the ocean underneath is warm, liquid water. If that water is coming near the surface through cracks and vents, E-THEMIS will see these warm regions and tell us where ocean water is closest to the surface,” said ASU Professor Phil Christensen, who is leading the development of the camera. “Even if water erupted onto the surface many years ago, the ice will still be warm.
In 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted water vapor plumes emanating from Europa’s south pole. Europa Clipper’s instruments will be looking for these plumes. Since these geysers might reach many hundreds of kilometers high, this offers the spacecraft a chance to ‘taste’ Europa’s oceans without ever touching down – much like Cassini did with the plumes on Enceladus.
Looking north from ISTB4, this E-THEMIS temperature image shows ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium and “A” Mountain, among other recognizable ASU landmarks. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
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