Europa Clipper

AFP English

Europa, the fourth largest of Jupiter’s 95 moons, is the target of a NASA mission, scheduled for lift off Monday, to determine if it has an environment which could support life.  VIDEOGRAPHIC

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00:00Europa, the fourth largest of Jupiter's 95 moons, is the target of a NASA mission to

00:11determine if it has an environment which could support life.

00:15The Europa Clipper mission will seek to confirm the existence of a saltwater ocean below a

00:20thick ice crust covering Europa.

00:22This ocean is believed to be heated by a phenomenon known as tidal flexing, where the moon is

00:27squeezed in and out by the gravitational forces exerted on it by Jupiter during its

00:32elliptical orbit.

00:34This heating system could cycle water and organic compounds from the moon's rocky interior,

00:40ice shell and ocean.

00:42It may also create hydrothermal vents in the rocky ocean floor, like the ones on Earth's

00:47seabed, which release hot water and chemical nutrients, supporting an array of lifeforms.

00:53The Europa Clipper spacecraft will make nearly 50 flybys of Europa, using specialised instruments

00:59including cameras, spectrometers and ice-penetrating radar to take detailed measurements of the

01:06moon's composition, geology, ice surface and liquid ocean.

01:10It is expected to take around five years to reach Europa after launch.

01:23For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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