NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft just took a big step for its mission. During a close flyby of Mars earlier this year, Clipper tested its ice-penetrating radar system. This test is crucial for the spacecraft’s main job: exploring Jupiter’s moon Europa to find signs of liquid water beneath its icy surface and see if it can support life.
Launched in October 2024, Europa Clipper is traveling about 1.8 billion miles to reach its destination. On March 1, it came within 550 miles of Mars in a planned maneuver to adjust its path.
This flyby was a perfect chance to test Clipper’s key scientific tools in the harsh environment of space. One tool, known as REASON (Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface), bounced signals off Mars’ surface. According to a NASA report, the test went smoothly, generating 60 gigabytes of data and confirming that the radar is ready for Europa.
“We got everything out of the flyby that we dreamed,” said Don Blankenship, a research professor from the University of Texas and the lead investigator for the REASON instrument. He noted that the test confirmed the radar’s readiness for its mission at Europa.
REASON aims to explore what’s beneath Europa’s ice by sending out radio waves that reflect off different layers. The radar uses two long antennas attached to the spacecraft’s massive solar panels, which are about the size of a basketball court. These panels are designed to capture the limited sunlight available at Europa, which is much weaker than on Earth.
Testing the complete radar system in one of NASA’s indoor labs posed challenges. Engineers needed a long chamber to replicate space conditions, which limited their ability to conduct full-scale tests. The flyby of Mars was their first real test in space.
The excitement among the team was palpable. “Seeing the data for the first time, we were ecstatic. It was incredible to see the results,” said Trina Ray, the deputy science manager for Europa Clipper at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Currently, the spacecraft is around 280 million miles from Earth. It will make another gravity assist maneuver around Earth in December 2026, with an arrival in the Jupiter system expected in 2030. There, it will initiate a mission involving 40 flybys of Europa.
As we look ahead, studies suggest that the oceans beneath Europa’s icy crust may hold more than just water. Some researchers believe they could contain organic compounds, offering hints about potential life beyond Earth. This mission could reshape our understanding of life’s possibilities in the universe.
To learn more about the Europa Clipper project and its instruments, visit NASA’s official page on Europa Clipper.
