'Travelling at 88,000 kmph': NASA's Europa Clipper to pass 800 km above Mars today en route to Jupiter's icy moon
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will pass just 550 miles (884 km) above Mars today (1 March). This manoeuvre is designed to fine-tune its trajectory as part of its journey to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. The speed of the spacecraft will be close to 88,000 km/h.
The $5.2 billion mission aims to investigate Europa, which has an icy shell covering a vast ocean. Scientists are exploring whether the moon could support life. Europa Clipper is the first NASA mission dedicated to studying ocean worlds in detail.
Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has constructed for a planetary mission, with solar arrays spanning the length of a basketball court. It launched on 14 October 2024 from Kennedy Space Centre.
The spacecraft is using Mars’ gravity to adjust its speed and trajectory without additional fuel consumption. The manoeuvre is part of a series of planned flybys that help Europa Clipper reach its final destination.
At its closest point to Mars, Europa Clipper will travel at approximately 15.2 miles per second (24.5 km per second). The spacecraft will then adjust its course and continue towards Earth for another gravity assist in 2026.
During the flyby, engineers will test two key instruments: a thermal imager that will capture multi-coloured images of Mars and a radar system designed to study Europa’s icy surface. This marks the first time the radar system will be fully tested.
Following the Mars flyby, Europa Clipper will pass Earth in December 2026, gaining momentum for the final stretch to Jupiter. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at Europa in April 2030, beginning its study of the moon’s potential habitability.
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