On October 14, NASA launched Europa Clipper, its largest planetary mission spacecraft yet. It’s headed to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which could have a giant ocean of liquid water hidden under its icy crust. And where there’s water, scientists think there may be evidence of life. The spacecraft is equipped with nine different instruments and will complete nearly 50 flybys of Europa, scanning almost the entire moon.
SciFri producer Kathleen Davis talks with Dr. Padi Boyd, NASA astrophysicist and host of the agency’s podcast “Curious Universe,” about the launch and the excitement at NASA. Then, Ira checks in with two scientists who are working on the mission about what they’re excited to learn: Dr. Ingrid Daubar, planetary scientist at Brown University and a Europa Clipper project staff scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Dr. Tracy Becker, planetary scientist at Southwest Research Institute and a deputy principal investigator for the ultraviolet spectrograph on the Europa spacecraft.
Further Reading
- Listen to NASA’s “Curious Universe” podcast with Dr. Padi Boyd.
- Watch a video on Europa Clipper’s “search for life in a radiation death zone” via Vertasium.
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Segment Guests
Padi Boyd
Dr. Padi Boyd is an astrophysicist at NASA and host of the agency’s podcast Curious Universe. She’s based in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Tracy Becker
Dr. Tracy Becker is a co-investigator on the Europa Clipper mission, and a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
Ingrid Daubar
Dr. Ingrid Daubar is an associate professor at Brown University and a Europa Clipper Project Staff Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California.
Segment Transcript
The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.
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About Charles Bergquist
@cbquistAs Science Friday’s director and senior producer, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.
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John Dankosky works with the radio team to create our weekly show, and is helping to build our State of Science Reporting Network. He’s also been a long-time guest host on Science Friday. He and his wife have three cats, thousands of bees, and a yoga studio in the sleepy Northwest hills of Connecticut.