Latest news with #EuropaClipper
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Irish Times
Europa is our best bet of finding other life in our solar system
Does life exist elsewhere in the universe beyond Earth? Based on our knowledge of the nature of life on Earth and of how it arose about 3½ billion years ago and subsequently evolved to occupy almost every ecological niche on the planet, and on our knowledge of the vastness of the universe, the answer is an almost-certain yes. But what about life elsewhere in our own backyard – what about life in our own solar system besides Earth? We may well soon know a lot more about this because a spacecraft is speeding towards Europa, a moon of Jupiter, to investigate the suitability of a hidden ocean on this moon to harbour life. Nasa's Europa Clipper spacecraft was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on October 14th, 2024. The mission is outlined by Nadia Drake in a recent edition of Scientific American. READ MORE Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and the fifth planet out from the sun, orbiting the sun at a distance of 5.2 astronomical units (1AU equals the average distance from Earth to sun; 149.6 million kilometres). It is a gas giant with a mass more than 2½ times the combined masses of all the other planets. After the moon and Venus, Jupiter is the third brightest natural object in the sky. Mars may have harboured life in the past but life on Mars today seems extremely unlikely. Europa is the best bet for a planet/moon in our solar system, apart from Earth, to harbour life. The goal of Europa Clipper's mission is to learn if Europa is habitable for life as we know it. [ Is there life on Europa? Nasa probe heads for moon with more water than Earth Opens in new window ] Most space scientists are convinced that an enormous ocean is packed beneath Europa's frozen surface, an ocean that may have brewed the raw ingredients of biology for billions of years. Perhaps life has already arisen there. Europa Clipper will arrive in Jupiter in 2030. Europa Clipper will loop around Jupiter on a course that will carry it by Europa 49 times over four years. Clipper carries nine instruments on board that will study Europa's chemistry, map the moon's icy surface, look for water – plumes rising from the surface and search by radar for lakes within Europa's frozen crust. Mission scientists are hoping Clipper's instruments, including world-class cameras and the best mass spectrometer ever flown (it ingests molecules and determines their composition), will survive the onslaught of the intense magnetic fields in this region for long enough to collect plentiful information about the life-harbouring potential of Europa. If the mission is extremely fortunate, Clipper will intercept a water plume and identify signature organic molecules of life. In 1609 when Galileo Galilei pointed his home-made telescope at Jupiter, he also noticed smaller spots of light. He studied the motions of these spots and deduced they were moons of Jupiter. He named the moons Europa, Ganymede, Io and Callisto. For a long time, scientists thought that the habitability of other planets for life depends on the planet's distance from the warming influence of a star. It was also assumed that our outer solar system was a frozen region with very little geological activity. But Nasa's 1979 Voyager and its 1995 Galileo spacecraft sweeps by Jupiter found gravitational interaction between Jupiter and its moons have warmed and made them all very geologically active. Io is extremely volcanic, and Europa seems to exhibit plate tectonics and a salty water sea of unknown depth trapped beneath a frozen surface shell of unknown thickness. It seems that a planet's or moon's biological potential does not depend solely on its distance from the sun, and possibly not even on the sun at all, as indicated by the existence of life on Earth around hydrothermal deep ocean vents. American astronomer Frank Drake wrote a formula in 1961 to estimate the number of civilisations in our Milky Way galaxy with which communication might be possible. Nadia Drake is Frank Drake's daughter. The Drake Equation includes several factors, including rate of star formation, the fraction of stars that have planets and the numbers of planets that potentially support life. The equation stimulates scientific thinking about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and Frank Drake is generally regarded as the father of SETI. Europa Clipper's mission will help to assign meaningful values to some of the SETI equation variables. William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
ASU camera checks temps on Mars, but its real mission is a search for life above Jupiter
It's a long way from Tempe to Jupiter, but a thermal camera built at Arizona State University is on its way. First though, it made a crucial detour at Mars, millions of miles from the quiet lab where it started. A team of ASU scientists built the camera to measure temperatures in some of the coldest places in the solar system. The Europa Clipper mission tested its E-THEMIS instrument on March 1 during a Martian practice run before it reaches its final destination in a few years: Jupiter's moon Europa. E-THEMIS is a key instrument for testing the chances for life on Europa. Phil Christensen, an ASU Regents Professor and principal investigator for E-THEMIS, wanted to take advantage of the Europa Clipper's flyby of Mars to test the instrument. 'We know Mars really well,' Christensen said. 'So I said if we can take measurements from Clipper, we can compare them to what we know about temperature on Mars and check our calibration to make sure we get the temperatures right.' E-THEMIS uses infrared imaging to test planetary surface temperatures and will measure temperatures on Europa's icy crust. Before Clipper reaches Europa in 2030, Christensen turned to Mars to ensure the technology is accurate. 'It wasn't to learn anything new about Mars,' he said. 'It was to acquire some data that is extraordinarily helpful for us as we get ready for the real work when we get to Europa.' After launching on Oct. 14, 2024, Europa Clipper is on an odyssey to Europa, Jupiter's icy, fourth-largest moon. It is NASA's first mission to Europa to determine if the moon has conditions suitable to support life. Clipper will orbit Jupiter when it arrives in 2030, conducting 49 flybys of Europa. ASU's E-THEMIS is one of nine instruments that will collect important data during the mission. The mission's three main objectives are to determine the thickness of the icy shell, investigate its composition and characterize its geology. 'We're pretty sure underneath Europa's thick ice crust there's a liquid, warm water ocean,' Christensen said. 'If you look at the surface of Europa, it looks like it's fractured. We think that ocean is convecting, kind of like a boiling pot of water.' As warm water rises and the ocean comes closer to the moon's surface, it pulls the upper icy crust apart. E-THEMIS will measure temperatures along the icy surface. If temperatures are a few degrees warmer in certain areas, they can confirm that the ocean is closer to the surface and that convective activity is happening. 'In order to say how close those oceans are, I need to know the exact temperatures of those fractures,' Christensen said. 'The warmer they are, the closer the warm water is to the surface. The colder they are, the deeper the ocean is.' That's where the Mars practice run comes in. E-THEMIS needs to accurately measure surface temperatures to predict the ocean's depth beneath Europa's fractures. E-THEMIS captured over 1,000 infrared images of Mars in 18 minutes and detected temperature variations to validate the instrument's accuracy. They used data from Mars Odyssey, which also has a THEMIS instrument developed at ASU, which has been operational since 2001. 'We verified it works by looking at Mars, because we have other instruments measuring temperatures on Mars, so we know what the truth is,' he said. Europa's surface temperatures could hold the key to one of the most compelling scientific questions of modern times: whether life exists beyond Earth. Researchers believe that beneath the surface of this frozen moon, a massive ocean exists that could contain extraterrestrial life. Christenson hopes Clipper and E-THEMIS will help answer two key questions. 'We know Europa is active and the crust is pulling apart, but we don't know whether that activity happened within the last decade or a few hundred, or thousands of years ago,' he said. They want to know when Europa was active. If the surface temperatures are cold, then they know Europa's warming may have happened thousands or even millions of years ago. But if there are warmer spots, they could revisit for further study to discover whether life exists in Europa's ocean. 'Someday, we'd like to land on Europa, drill through the ice, put a submarine down there and find out if there's life in that ocean,' Christensen said. Scientists need to pinpoint areas where the ice is thinnest, or the warmest places on Europa. Those areas will be ideal for drilling and dropping submarines for further exploration. While the Europa Clipper mission is led by NASA, a major piece was built in Tempe. ASU developed E-THEMIS in a lab just off University Drive, and now it's headed millions of miles into space to explore one of the most promising places in the solar system for life. 'People are always surprised — they don't realize this kind of work is happening right here,' Christensen said. 'Down the street on the ASU campus, we're building hardware that's going to Jupiter. It's pretty cool.' Christensen has worked on space missions since he was in college. For him, the thrill of discovery and contributing to something bigger than himself is the real reward. He hopes ASU will continue contributing to NASA's deep space missions and exploring the solar system. 'One hundred years from now, nobody will remember our names,' he said. 'But they'll remember Europa Clipper. That's the kind of mission that adds to human knowledge.' Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and Email her with story tips at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU camera seeks life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
The space race is being reshaped by geopolitics, offering opportunities for countries such as New Zealand
By Peter Zámborský, Christian Dietrich and Denis Odlin of A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Europa Clipper spacecraft aboard launches from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on 14 October, 2024. Photo: AFP Analysis - The space economy is being reshaped - not just by innovation, but by geopolitics. What was once dominated by state space agencies, and more recently by private ventures, is evolving into a hybrid model in which government priorities and commercial capabilities are intertwined. The rise of protectionist policies, tariff wars, export controls and national security concerns is forcing space firms to adapt their strategies - and in many cases, to rethink where and how they operate. This offers countries such as New Zealand the opportunity to stand out in the new space race - becoming neutral ground with fewer trade and other regulatory barriers for the growth of the emerging hybrid space economy. The New Zealand government plans to double the size of the space and advanced aviation sectors by 2030. Already, about 20,000 workers are employed in these sectors, generating US$1.8 billion in revenue. New Zealand's flagship player in the space sector is Rocket Lab. Founded in 2006, the integrated space firm was listed on NASDAQ in 2021. By the end of 2024, the company was worth around US$8b. While its headquarters are in the United States, Rocket Lab also operates in Canada and keeps around 700 of its 2000 global staff and its key launch site in New Zealand. Recently, it also announced the acquisition of a German optical communications supplier, Mynaric. Founded in New Zealand by Peter Beck, Rocket Lab is now headquartered in the United States with sites in Canada and elsewhere. Photo: Supplied / Rocket Lab Rocket Lab's decision to engage in substantial foreign investment and diversify its operations across the US, New Zealand, Canada and Europe gives it flexibility in responding to the US-initiated trade war. The current and possible future US tariffs have created uncertainty for investors. Along with retaliatory measures by China and other nations, these developments have significant consequences for space firms. Companies in this field rely on globally sourced components (for example, semiconductors and electronic components) and materials such as steel and specialised fuel for their operations. Firms based in just one location can suffer from tariffs or retaliatory restrictions. But those with operations in several countries - especially in more neutral countries such as New Zealand and some Southeast Asian nations - may benefit from geopolitical tensions. Geostrategic diversification gives them more options, including less risky locations for operations, trade and investments in the space sector. A recent Deloitte report noted that companies in the space ecosystem may prefer to look for launch sites and satellite providers on neutral ground. Initiatives are already emerging in Indonesia and Malaysia to construct commercial spaceports and attract investment in satellite manufacturing. The rising geopolitical tensions mean new space firms from relatively neutral countries such as New Zealand are increasingly aligning with national defence priorities. The emerging hybrid space economy is, in some ways, a response to this global power realignment. New Zealand has historically sought to balance strong trade ties with China, its largest trading partner, with security cooperation with the US as part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. But recent developments have prompted a reassessment. Notably, the presence of Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea and upheavals in the global security climate after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to a review of New Zealand's defence posture. The government is now aiming to double defence spending to 2 percent of GDP. The US military has held talks with New Zealand about launching more satellites from this country . Earlier this year, Rocket Lab also declared it was " ready to serve the Pentagon ". For example, it secured contracts worth about US$500 million to launch a satellite from New Zealand for BlackSky, a US-based space-based intelligence provider. Rocket Lab also became one of five launch companies invited to compete for missions under the US National Security Space Launch programme. This programme puts the most valuable military and spy satellites into orbit, worth up to US$6b of Pentagon contracts in the next few years. Nations' increased needs for domestic space defence capabilities also create foreign investment opportunities. For example, Airbus will design and build a new military satellite system costing about US$170m in the United Kingdom to improve real-time military imagery. Ongoing economic strife and possible military conflicts have important implications for the strategies of new space firms and the policies of nations seeking space investment. New space firms may redirect their investment to countries where their main customers are located (for example, the US or European Union) or to neutral countries less affected by geopolitical tensions (for example, New Zealand). This allows them to diversify and reduce exposure to tariffs and other restrictions. In New Zealand, this may mean more government investment not only by Rocket Lab, but also involvement by other industry players from the US, Japan or Europe. Commercial opportunities in the new space sector will remain. But the shape of the sector may move towards a more hybrid space, recognising both commercial and national security interests in times of economic war. * Peter Zámborský is Senior Lecturer, Management & International Business at University of Auckland, Christian Dietrich is a PhD candidate in the Department of International Business, University of Auckland and Denis Odlin is Lecturer, Management & International Business at the University of Auckland. This story was originally published on The Conversation.
Digital Trends
12-05-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Europa Clipper spacecraft snaps cool thermal images of Mars
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft is currently on its long journey through the solar system, headed for Jupiter's icy moon of Europa. There, it's hoping to find whether Europa could ever have supported life — but before it arrives, it's doing some investigating closer to home as well. NASA scientists recently used Europa Clipper's instruments to take readings of Mars, as the spacecraft was passing within just 550 miles of the red planet's surface on March 1. The spacecraft was using the gravity of Mars to get a boost along its journey, but while doing so there was also an opportunity to do some testing. The team tested out one of Clipper's instruments, an infrared camera called the Europa Thermal Imaging System (E-THEMIS), by snapping some images of Mars on the way past. The camera shows the temperature of different regions, and it will be used to study parts of the surface of Europa which are covered in ridges and fractures, thought to be caused by water rising up from the subsurface ocean and breaking through the icy crust. Recommended Videos 'We want to measure the temperature of those features,' said Phil Christensen of Arizona State University, principal investigator of E-THEMIS. 'If Europa is a really active place, those fractures will be warmer than the surrounding ice where the ocean comes close to the surface. Or if water erupted onto the surface hundreds to thousands of years ago, then those surfaces could still be relatively warm.' The images of Mars taken by E-THERMIS show the temperatures across the planet, with the warmest parts near the equator and the coldest parts up at the ice caps at the poles. One thousand grayscale images were captured, and these were stacked together to create a color composite showing temperature. As well as showing features of Mars, these images were a chance to test out the instrument against known data and check everything on board the spacecraft was working correctly, including its radar instrument as well. 'We wanted no surprises in these new images,' Christensen said. 'The goal was to capture imagery of a planetary body we know extraordinarily well and make sure the dataset looks exactly the way it should, based on 20 years of instruments documenting Mars.' With everything looking good, Clipper is now continuing on its journey, expected to arrive at Jupiter in 2030.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Using Federally Funded University Research To Power America
Justin Schwartz, Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder. A $53 million scientific instrument soared into space in October on a mission to reshape how we understand life in our solar system. The Europa Surface Dust Analyzer—or SUDA—is a cutting-edge tool, designed and built at the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, tasked with searching for organic molecules on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. While SUDA's journey is a remarkable achievement, I think it also serves as a reminder of the transformative power of science and technology to shape our world—innovations like the development of the polio vaccine, the invention of the CAT scan and the creation of seatbelts. Like the Europa Clipper mission, these milestones highlight the extraordinary potential of federally funded university research to transform discovery into real-world impact. Since World War II, the U.S. research and development (R&D) enterprise has driven an era of prosperity and innovation, fueling breakthroughs in space, medicine and technology while empowering our national security and international trade. But today, more than any time in the past 80 years, America appears to be at a crossroads. While the foundation of federally funded research has propelled us to the forefront of international progress, uncertainty threatens to erode our position. As we enter a new phase of federal leadership, our commitment to innovation—and our ability to remain globally competitive—must transcend politics. Our future hinges on consistent investment in university research. While the U.S. once held an undisputed lead in R&D, nations such as China, Germany and Japan are rapidly closing the gap, vying for supremacy in fields like artificial intelligence, quantum science and sustainable energy technologies. This heightened competition poses serious challenges to America's economic and national security. The semiconductor industry exemplifies this dynamic. Once a global leader, the U.S. saw manufacturing and innovation shift to countries like Taiwan, China and South Korea. Recent global supply chain disruptions exposed the risks of relying on imports for critical technologies, spurring the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022. Despite the over $50 billion investment to restore U.S. competitiveness, the future remains uncertain. Federal funding has long been "the bedrock of national innovation," enabling breakthroughs in industries like aerospace, healthcare, defense and energy. But with an increasingly uncertain commitment to R&D and the funding to back it up, the U.S. risks falling behind. I think the choice is clear: Bolster our commitment to the investments that have fueled our success or watch other nations pioneer the industries of the future. As evidenced by the Europa Clipper mission and past endeavors, universities are at the heart of America's innovation ecosystem. Federally funded research in university labs has given rise to life-changing technologies: LED lights, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), LCDs, vaccines and more. It's also the seedbed for iconic companies like Google and Genentech, which began as university research projects and grew into global powerhouses. Innovation hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston's Route 128, North Carolina's Research Triangle and Colorado's Front Range corridor thrive because they unite research universities, federal laboratories, entrepreneurs, established industries and venture capital. These ecosystems don't just produce scientific discoveries; they create jobs, strengthen local economies and drive America's competitiveness on the global stage. In 2005, for example, CU Boulder developed a Nobel Prize-winning frequency comb technology in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Today, university spinout startups are refining it to tackle societal challenges, from detecting methane leaks in gas fields to developing a breathalyzer for early disease detection. The real competitive edge lies in the convergence of top researchers, industry partners and policy support—working together across innovation corridors to solve the biggest challenges of our time. The "raw materials" concentrated in America's leading innovation hubs include scientists, students and facilities at top-notch research universities; community colleges and other workforce development engines; industry leaders and vibrant startup communities; and thriving federal labs and state support. If you're a business leader looking to stay ahead, consider this: Safeguarding national security, advancing quantum and AI technologies and responding to climate-related disruptions aren't just government priorities—they're business imperatives. These are the kinds of complex challenges that demand comprehensive, collaborative solutions. It's clear to me that partnering with research universities isn't just good citizenship; it's smart strategy. These partnerships can de-risk early-stage innovation, offer access to high-end labs and top-tier talent and help translate bold ideas into scalable ventures. Ways you can get involved include: • Licensing university tech. • Sponsoring applied research. • Supporting STEM workforce pipelines. • Engaging with academic R&D. • Co-developing projects. For industry and government leaders seeking effective solutions to complex challenges, these hubs offer cutting-edge research, skilled talent and strong pathways to commercialization. From SUDA's Europa mission to groundbreaking research in climate resilience and quantum technology, federally funded university research is transforming lives and shaping the future. Innovation is America's great differentiator; let's not leave it to chance. Let's fund it, scale it and ensure it continues to serve as a foundation for prosperity. Support for university research has an impact beyond students, faculty and the local economy—it benefits every American. It drives job creation, protects against reliance on imported critical technology and keeps the U.S. at the forefront of progress. The next time you depend on GPS, open your laptop or even fasten your seatbelt, think of the university research ecosystem that made these advances possible. Our future depends on sustained, visionary investment. By supporting and investing in these hubs for innovation, we can ensure America remains a leader in discovery and prosperity for generations to come. 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