NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has successfully tested its ice-penetrating radar system during a close flyby of Mars, proving it is ready for its main mission: searching for signs of subsurface liquid water and potentially determining if those oceans can support life.
Launched in October 2024, the Europa Clipper will study Jupiter and its moons on a 1.8-billion-mile journey. In March, the spacecraft flew within 550 miles of Mars’ surface to fine-tune its trajectory and test its radar system, known as REASON.
The two onboard scientific instruments were tested in deep space conditions, including the radar system. The 40-minute radar test produced approximately 60 gigabytes of data, confirming that the system is performing as intended. “We got everything out of the flyby that we dreamed,” said Don Blankenship, a research professor and principal investigator for the REASON instrument.
REASON will take a look inside Europa by transmitting radio waves that reflect off structures within the underlying ice. The radar uses two pairs of slender antennas mounted on solar arrays to transmit and receive signals. Engineers had to test the system indoors due to the need for sterility, but the Mars flyby provided the first opportunity to test it in its complete, operational form.
The successful test has left scientists ecstatic. The spacecraft is currently about 280 million miles from Earth and is set to receive another gravity assist in December 2026. It will arrive in the Jupiter system in 2030, where it will begin a 40-flyby mission of Europa.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasas-europa-clipper-radar-passes-key-test-during-mars-flyby