Exploring the Moon of Jupiter: can we live there?

NASA and SpaceX will perform the Clipper mission, which intends to explore and determine the conditions to habit Europa, one of Jupiter´s moons.

Previously Europa, Jupiter´s moon,  has been cataloged as an option to develop human life; to confirm this hypothesis, NASA has been working on the Clipper mission that will be launched in 2024.
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To complete this space project, NASA collaborates with SpaceX: the Clipper mission will be released on the back of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, and the launch investment is 178 million dollars. 

This rocket will be the least expensive option for the US Space Agency, its costs are considerably less than the Space Lunch System rocket. According to information published by NASA, the United States Congress has released 2,000 million dollars from the budget, this amount covers all the expenses of the project.
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What is the purpose of the mission?

The mission seeks to determine whether Europe has the ideal conditions for human life, through different instruments will be analyzed the composition, gravity, atmospheric dust, and the magnetic field of the moon, as well as the presence of water on the surface.

Furthermore, the mission is intended to obtain high-resolution satellite images and detect signs of recent geological activity. Likewise, it expects to obtain knowledge about the icy layer and the ocean of Europa.

When will it be launched?

It will be launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 2024, and, if all goes according to plan, the Clipper mission will enter Jupiter’s orbit in April 2030. Six years after its expulsion.
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Once Jupiter’s orbit is reached, the mission will send data after each overflight to establish possible changes in the satellite’s trajectory and find regions that arouse curiosity and need further study.​

The Europa Clipper will be situated  2,700 to 25 kilometers above the surface, while most flips are under 100 km. The spacecraft will also pass alongside two other large Jovian moons: Ganymede and Callisto; these natural satellites will help shape and redirect their orbit.​

aFurther specifications

The Clipper mission is 5 meters high with solar panels that feature 30.5 meters from top to bottom. It will have a mass of approximately 6,000 kilograms at take-off, with fuel included.

Moreover, the satellite will include cameras and spectrometers to produce high-resolution images and composition maps of the surface. Alongside a radar of ice penetration that aims to search for groundwater, a magnetometer and gravity meters for measuring the moon’s magnetic field and unlocking clues about its ocean and its deep interior