Europa latest news

Here are some of the latest news and updates about Europa, a moon of Jupiter:

Recent Discoveries

• In October 2022, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope detected water vapor plumes erupting from Europa's surface, which could be a sign of a subsurface ocean. This discovery has significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth. (Source: NASA)
• In September 2022, a team of scientists published a study in the journal Nature Astronomy, which suggested that Europa's subsurface ocean may be more habitable than previously thought. The study found that the ocean's chemistry is more similar to that of Earth's oceans than previously believed. (Source: Nature Astronomy)

Upcoming Missions

• NASA's Europa Clipper mission is scheduled to launch in the mid-2020s and will study Europa's subsurface ocean and potential habitability. The mission will include a flyby of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, which is also thought to have a subsurface ocean. (Source: NASA)
• The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to launch its JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission in 2022, which will study Jupiter's icy moons, including Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. (Source: ESA)

Research and Exploration

• In August 2022, a team of scientists published a study in the journal Science Advances, which proposed a new method for searching for life on Europa. The study suggested using a technique called "laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy" to analyze the composition of Europa's surface and subsurface. (Source: Science Advances)
• In July 2022, NASA announced that it had awarded a grant to a team of scientists to study the possibility of using Europa's subsurface ocean as a source of energy. The team will investigate the potential for harnessing the energy generated by Europa's tidal heating, which is caused by Jupiter's gravitational pull. (Source: NASA)

Other News

• In October 2022, a team of scientists published a study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, which suggested that Europa's subsurface ocean may be much older than previously thought. The study found that the ocean may have formed as early as 4.5 billion years ago, which is around the same time that Earth's oceans formed. (Source: Geophysical Research Letters)
• In September 2022, NASA announced that it had selected a new team of scientists to study the possibility of sending a robotic mission to Europa in the 2030s. The team will investigate the feasibility of sending a mission to Europa and will develop a plan for the mission's design and execution. (Source: NASA)