Europa

Original artworks from NASA

Astonishing geology and the potential to host the conditions for simple life make Jupiter's moon Europa a fascinating destination for future exploration. Beneath its icy surface, Europa is believed to conceal a global ocean of salty liquid water twice the volume of Earth's oceans. Tugging and flexing from Jupiter's gravity generates enough heat to keep the ocean from freezing. On Earth, wherever we find water, we find life. What will NASA's Europa mission find when it heads for this intriguing moon in the 2020s?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an autonomous organization of the United States Federal Government liable for the regular citizen space program and aeronautics and space research. NASA was set up in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Since its foundation, most US space investigation endeavours have been driven by NASA, including the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle.