NASA revealed the Europa Clipper, an interplanetary probe destined for Jupiter’s moon Europa, in the quest for extraterrestrial life.

The mission aims to investigate whether Europa could host life by studying its icy surface and subsurface ocean.

Scheduled for launch in October, the $5 billion spacecraft will carry various instruments to analyze Europa’s composition, ice thickness, and potential for liquid water.

Despite not directly searching for life, scientists hope to find conditions conducive to it, expanding our understanding of life’s potential beyond Earth, Phys.org has reported.

The mission, expected to arrive at Europa in 2031, signifies a significant step in humanity’s exploration of the cosmos and the possibility of life beyond our planet.

Written by B.C. Begley