Scheduled to launch in October, NASA’s Europa Clipper will set out on a tour to explore the habitability of Jupiter’s icy ocean moon Europa.
Ahead of the mission, NASA officials will host a panel talk on the Europa Clipper launch at the Burbank Public Library Buena Vista Branch on May 15 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The panel will feature personnel from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Erin Leonard, a research scientist at JPL and project staff scientist for the Europa mission, will highlight the science of the Europa Clipper and its 10 investigations. Science systems engineer Jenny Kampmeier will describe the instruments, the current status of the spacecraft, and the path that remains to the launchpad.
After a nearly six-year cruise that includes gravity assists at Mars and Earth, the spacecraft will enter orbit around Jupiter and will perform nearly 50 flybys of Europa over a four-year period.
To explore Europa as an integrated system and achieve a complete picture of its habitability, the Europa Clipper mission has three main science objectives to characterize: the ice shell and ocean, its composition and geology.
Burbank residents can join Leonard and Kampmeier for the educational discussion at the Buena Vista Branch Library. Register at burbank.libnet.info.
First published in the May 11 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
