NASA announced its plan to search for extraterrestrial life

* Europe's Rosalind probe will be launched to Mars in 2028

On April 11, American space researchers announced the Clipper spacecraft that the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch to one of Jupiter's moons. This is also one of the missions to search for extraterrestrial life.

The $5 billion spacecraft is currently housed in a 'sterile room' at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to ensure it doesn't carry bacteria from Earth to the star's moon. Moc. According to the plan, in October, NASA will launch the unmanned Clipper spacecraft to the planet Europa - one of dozens of moons orbiting the largest planet in the Solar System and in the closest position in the celestial area. Our bodies can give life.

It is expected that by the end of spring, the Clipper spacecraft will be taken to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A team of engineers and technicians will carry out the final preparations before launching the ship.

After launch, the spacecraft will head towards Mars and in December 2025 the spacecraft will arrive close enough to Mars to be able to take advantage of the planet's gravity to help increase momentum. In 2031, the spacecraft will enter orbit around Jupiter and Europa, beginning a detailed study of the moon, which scientists believe is covered in frozen water.

According to NASA, Clipper Europa will have to overcome many difficulties on the journey, including intense vibrations during rocket launch, the harsh hot and cold environment of space and the large radiation of Jupiter.

NASA said Clipper's main mission is to explore Jupiter's moon Europa to identify locations capable of supporting life beneath the planet's icy surface. According to NASA, the mission's goals include studying Europa's icy shell thickness, surface interaction with the ocean, and the planet's composition and geology.

* Europe once again embarked on an exploration of the planet Mars. The ExoMars mission, which involves sending a mobile robot to the Red Planet, just reached a major milestone.

According to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Europe, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Thales Alenia Space Company of France and Italy announced on April 9 the signing of a contract worth 522 million euros to carry out this mission. with the goal of launching the probe by the end of 2028.

The framework contract signed by Thales Alenia Space Company includes the development of take-off and landing modules, as well as maintenance and upgrade activities for vehicles already produced for the 2022 mission. Aviation Agency The American Aerospace Forces (NASA) will also cooperate in implementing the mission.

According to ESA, the rover will move autonomously on the Martian surface and will drill and explore deeper than any previous Mars mission. Robots will explore the surface of Mars to answer the question humanity has long asked: was there ever life on this planet?

Designed to drill up to 2m below the Martian surface, the rover will collect and analyze samples to detect signs of past or present life.

Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA, said this is an important step in the ongoing exploration of Mars. ExoMars will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida between October and December 2028 and will land on Mars in 2030.

Samuel Daniel

Update 13 April 2024