Europa Clipper
NASA · Jupiter (Europa)
En route to Jupiter for 49 close flybys of the icy moon Europa, arriving April 2030. The next push is an Earth gravity assist in December 2026.
At a glance
- Phase
- cruise
- Operator
- NASA
- Destination
- Jupiter (Europa)
- Next milestone
- Earth gravity assist flyby on 3 December 2026
- Last verified
- 2026-08-06
Where it stands
In cruise towards Jupiter following its October 2024 launch and 2025 Mars flyby; NASA states the spacecraft swings by Earth on 3 December 2026 for a gravity assist.
The mission
Europa Clipper launched on 14 October 2024 and is travelling 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometres) to reach Jupiter in April 2030, having completed a Mars gravity assist in 2025. NASA states the next milestone is an Earth flyby on 3 December 2026, which gives the spacecraft its final push towards Jupiter. Once in orbit it will conduct 49 close flybys of Europa to assess whether the icy moon could support life.
Related
Sources
- science.nasa.gov · https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/