The Europa Clipper mission objectives include:
* Determine if there is a global ocean beneath Europa's surface.
* Characterize the composition, structure, and thickness of Europa's icy shell and water ocean.
* Investigate Europa's surface composition, morphology, and geologic history, and search for evidence of current geological activity.
* Study the interior structure and dynamics of Europa, including the nature and extent of its ocean, and the thickness of its icy shell.
* Investigate the potential habitability of Europa's ocean and search for evidence of organic compounds and biosignatures.
The Europa Clipper orbiter will carry a suite of nine science instruments, including:
* Europa Imaging System (EIS): A high-resolution camera that will obtain images of Europa's surface.
* Europa Thermal Emission Imager (E-THEMIS): A thermal infrared imager that will measure the surface temperature of Europa's surface.
* Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE): A visible-infrared imaging spectrometer that will measure the composition of Europa's surface.
* Europa Radar Experiment (REASON): A radar instrument that will penetrate Europa's icy crust and measure the thickness of the ice shell and the depth of the ocean.
* Ice Penetrating Radar Experiment (ICE): A radar instrument that will measure the thickness of Europa's icy shell.
* Europa Magnetometer (E-MAG): A magnetometer that will measure the magnetic field of Europa's interior.
* SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA): A mass spectrometer that will analyze the composition of Europa's surface dust.
* Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS): A plasma instrument that will measure the distribution and composition of Europa's plasma.
* Radio Science Experiment (RSE): A radio science experiment that will measure Europa's gravity field.
The Europa Clipper mission is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of Europa and its potential for habitability.
