Exploring the Europa Clipper Mission: Deep Diving into a Secret Ocean World

with Tess Grindlay, University of Victoria

Summary

Artist’s impression of the Europa Clipper in orbit around Jupiter’s moon Europa

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is set to launch on October 10th, 2024. This ground-breaking probe will travel almost 700 million kilometres to Jupiter’s mysterious moon Europa – a world covered entirely in a thick layer of ice that may have a vast saltwater ocean hidden underneath. Its cold exterior contains a lively inner world, with geysers launching water vapour into space and evidence of an induced magnetic field. Learning more about Europa and its environment will propel planetary science research forward, as well as provide insight into the possibility of life existing outside of Earth. This presentation will introduce the Europa Clipper probe and provide useful background knowledge on the mission. Additionally, we will discuss the technologically advanced instrumentation on board and the exciting mission objectives the Europa Clipper plans to accomplish.

BIO

Tess and the Canadarm

Tess Grindlay is an undergraduate student at the University of Victoria (UVic) in her final year of studying Physics and Astronomy. She has previously worked at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as a co-op student where she assisted with the initial roll-out of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Canadian science programs. She has also worked on astronomy research projects into galaxy characteristics and merger interactions. Tess is passionate about astronomy outreach, having volunteered at FDAO Star Parties and at UVic’s Observatory Open House Program. She is also involved with Let’s Talk Science, a group that provides engaging STEM education to grades K-12.