NASA's Juno Mission Maps Europa's Ice Shell, Revealing Clues for Life.

New Measurements of Europa's Icy Crust

According to TSN.ua: NASA's Juno mission has delivered groundbreaking data on the thickness of the ice shell covering Jupiter's moon Europa. Published on December 17, 2022, in the journal Nature Astronomy, these first-of-their-kind measurements distinguish between regions of thin and thick ice. The data indicates an average thickness of about 29 kilometers (18 miles) in the observed area. Europa is considered one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for life beyond Earth.

Findings from the Juno Spacecraft's Flyby

During a close flyby on September 29, 2022, the Juno spacecraft passed within approximately 360 kilometers of Europa's surface. Its Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument gathered data from roughly half of the moon. The measurements revealed that the ice shell's thickness is highly variable, ranging from just a few hundred meters to tens of kilometers. Estimates suggest an inner, slightly warmer convective layer may exist, which would make the total ice thickness even greater. The presence of dissolved salts in the ice could reduce the estimated thickness by about 3 miles (5 kilometers).

The MWR instrument also detected cracks, pores, and voids in the near-surface ice that scatter microwaves. These features are critical for understanding Europa's potential to host life. As principal investigator Scott Bolton noted:

“The thickness of the ice shell and the presence of cracks are part of the complex puzzle for understanding Europa's potential habitability.”

Project scientist Steve Levin further clarified the findings, stating:

“The 18-mile (29 km) estimate applies to the cold, rigid, conductive outer layer of pure water ice.”

These results will be vital for planning future missions, such as NASA's Europa Clipper and ESA's JUICE, which are scheduled to conduct detailed investigations of this intriguing world. The data from Juno opens new avenues for studying Europa's internal structure and geological activity, directly informing the search for environments that could support life.