The ambitious Europa Clipper has taken an important step towards theft

NASA gave its ambitious Europa Clipper mission the green light to proceed with the final design and then the construction of the spacecraft. The multi-billion dollar mission remains on target for a launch in 2023 or 2025, the agency said.

Each of NASA's major programs must follow a complex "life cycle", in which different phases of development – from the formulation of the project idea to the launch – are managed according to the required approvals. This is part of NASA's efforts to ensure that programs are developed to certain standards. In this case, the Europa mission has crossed the so-called "key decision point C", at which stage the programs undergo a rigorous examination and move from the preliminary design to the final design. Then begins the construction of the components of the spacecraft.

NASA has never sent a dedicated mission to a moon of the solar system other than Earth's own moon. But the Europa satellite of Jupiter is special, with what scientists think is a vast ocean under its ice shell capable of sheltering life. The large and powerful Europa Clipper spacecraft is expected to make more than 40 moon flybys to better characterize the ice, its thickness and the ocean below.

As with all major NASA missions, the Clipper has not been without problems. A report from the NASA's Inspector General, released in May, highlighted several spacecraft-related issues that will be built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL.

One of these concerns NASA's staff specializing in the construction of these complex interplanetary missions. "Clipper had to compete with at least four other major projects managed by JPL for critical staff resources, which raises fears that the project may not have sufficient staff with the required skills at critical times in its development cycle," says The report. This problem of understaffing has been largely solved, Ars told NASA source.

The second major concern was the rocket that would launch the Clipper to the Jupiter system. Congress insisted that it fly on the Space Launch System rocket, which would allow a shorter trip of a few years. However, the White House said that Clipper should fly on a commercial rocket because it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars less, and there is no guarantee that the Space Launch System rocket will be available for a flight in 2023 or even 2025.

NASA will not solve this essentially political problem, but the planners of the Clipper mission must know their launcher as soon as possible. The spacecraft can use the Space Launch System, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy or the United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy, but it flies in a utility vehicle – what the mission scientists said, is OK with them – it must be designed for a longer duration. transit time to the external solar system.