NASA’s Europa Clipper recently captured infrared images of Mars to fine-tune its thermal imaging system before reaching Jupiter’s moon Europa in 2030.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft will complete 49 close flybys to study Europa’s hidden ocean and assess its potential for life. Thermal imaging will map surface temperatures, revealing active areas and helping scientists locate the closest subsurface ocean.
Europa’s ridges and fractures likely form as ocean convection pulls apart the ice, allowing water to rise and reshape the crust.
Arizona State University’s Phil Christensen, principal investigator of Europa Clipper’s infrared camera, called the Europa Thermal Imaging System (E-THEMIS), said, “We want to measure the temperature of those features. If Europa is active, those fractures will be warmer than the surrounding ice where the ocean comes close to the surface. Or if water erupted onto the surface hundreds to thousands of years ago, those surfaces could still be relatively warm.”
On March 1, Europa Clipper flew 550 miles above Mars, using gravity to adjust its path for a faster journey to Jupiter. The flyby also lets scientists test E-THEMIS, a thermal imaging instrument.
For 18 minutes, E-THEMIS captured one image per second, producing over a thousand grayscale pictures. Starting May 5, scientists sent the pictures to Earth. They then compiled the images into a global snapshot, adding color—red for warm areas and blue for cold.
By comparing these images with past Mars data, researchers checked the instrument’s accuracy, ensuring it performs correctly before studying Jupiter’s moon Europa in 2030.
NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter, launched in 2001, has been capturing thermal images of Mars using its THEMIS instrument for decades. To ensure Europa Clipper’s E-THEMIS is properly calibrated, the Odyssey team gathered comparison images before, during, and after the flyby.
During its close pass by Mars, Europa Clipper also tested its radar system in full for the first time, something that wasn’t possible before launch due to the long wavelengths of its antennas. Early data suggests the test was successful.
Additionally, scientists verified that the spacecraft’s telecommunication equipment could conduct gravity experiments at Europa by transmitting signals through Mars’ gravity field, confirming that the technique should work at Jupiter’s moon.
Europa Clipper launched on October 14, 2024, via a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, beginning its 1.8 billion-mile journey to Jupiter. After using Mars’ gravity to adjust its path, its next gravity assist will come from Earth in 2026.
