By Cely Reyes, 11th grade

There is an air of expectation as preparatory activities heighten for a mission unlike any other to launch a spacecraft, which is set to visit one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa. The nearly $5 billion investment undertaking has taken several years to put together and seeks to answer if there is life or “aliens”. It is believed by scientists that beneath the thick crust, there is a large saltwater ocean, which makes it a potential candidate in the history of mankind’s search for life off planet Earth. With the time to the actual launch getting shorter, both the scientific community as well as the people with passion for space seem to be very eager to know the answers to these questions about the universe: Is there life on Jupiter’s moon Europa?

This aspect of the Europa Clipper mission would pay back all the investment on the project as it will prove that Europa can sustain life beside the presence of a thick layer of ice, making it one of the best places in the solar system that can be considered in the search for life outside earth. Despite its icy surface, it is said that beneath Europa lies a vast ocean containing all the key components necessary for life, including liquid water, nutrients, and energy sources. Such components are the basis of life as we know it, and while there are some sophisticated gadgets in the mission to establish if this ocean has found the right conditions for life, they are not the most sophisticated. Should this mission succeed in proving the existence of such primary essentials, it would elevate Europa from an object of curiosity to a place where it would be expected that life exists.

NASA’s Europa Clipper is the most advanced spacecraft that has ever been designed for a planetary mission comprising nine scientific devices with the specific aim of acquiring information concerning the habits of life on Europa. One of the main goals of this mission is to study the so-called geysers, which are thought to release water vapors from below the moon’s crust, where an ocean lies under the ice. These plumes might be rich in the components of life such as amino acids and other organic matters; hence, scientists are able to study the ocean without actually incurring the costs of drilling through hundreds of kilometers of ice to do so. The unique gravitational relationship that Europa has with Jupiter also creates tidal pressures on the moon sufficient to generate heat using friction. This heat may in turn prevent the ocean from completely freezing over, promoting possible habitability, as in the case of geothermal systems on Earth, where organisms thrive in the absence of light.

Still, there are people who are not convinced that life could thrive on Europa. They argue that the entire surface of the moon is within some harmful radiation wave as it is close to Jupiter’s magnetic field, which may not spare anything that lives. If the ocean is out of reach as there is no direct way to it, it’s very difficult to prove that it is possible to live in it. Those who disagree with this viewpoint think that in order to determine whether or not life exists on Europa, a lander or drilling mission would need to be sent there. 

The Europa Clipper mission is only the first step. If it finds the right conditions for any kind of life, other missions will eventually follow, aiming to dive into the ocean of Europa. Is a welcome advancement in today’s cosmic exploration in the search for foreign existence within the solar system. NASA is investigating the hidden ocean of Europa by looking to get rid of the mysteries surrounding this moon and evaluating its habitability. Although we may not see any life, the mission will improve the knowledge of the places in which life can be found outside the planet Earth. The results obtained with the help of the Europa Clipper will serve as the foundations for later missions, thereby extending the search for life beyond the earth and the increasing knowledge of the universe by mankind. Out there in the universe, the belief that there is life beyond this Earth has become closer to reality with every discovery made.

Sources:

-Achenbach, J. (2024, October 12). NASA to launch Europa Clipper, study if Jupiter moon can sustain life. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/nasa-europa-clipper-launch-jupiter-moon/

-King, L. (2024, April 5). If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/if-life-exists-on-jupiters-moon-europa-scientists-might-soon-be-able-to-detect-it-226656

-Lloyd, J. (2024, October 7). Why NASA is sending the Europa Clipper to search for aliens near Jupiter. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/why-nasa-is-sending-the-europa-clipper-to-search-for-aliens-near-jupiter