Europa’s cracked, icy shell and a likely subsurface ocean make Jupiter’s moon one of the most studied bodies in the solar system, with missions planned or flown to probe its surface and environment. That scientific interest has driven a range of mission types over decades, from brief flybys to long-term orbital studies.
There are 10 Space Missions to Europa, ranging from EJSM-Laplace to Voyager 2. The list below is organized with columns for Agency,Type,Dates so you can quickly compare who ran each mission, what kind it was, and when it operated; you’ll find that information below.
Which missions have taught us the most about Europa?
Galileo provided the most detailed direct data about Europa’s magnetic environment, surface features, and clues to a subsurface ocean, while Voyager 2 and earlier flybys gave initial reconnaissance. Upcoming focused missions (like Europa Clipper) and related work from JUICE will fill gaps in composition, ice thickness, and habitability assessments.
How should I use the Agency,Type,Dates columns to compare entries?
Use Agency to see responsibility and international collaboration, Type to distinguish flyby/orbiter/lander concepts, and Dates to place findings in historical context; together they let you spot technological progress, mission goals, and which data sets are contemporary or superseded.
Space Missions to Europa
| Name | Agency | Type | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager 1 | NASA | flyby | 1977 and 1979 |
| Voyager 2 | NASA | flyby | 1977 and 1979 |
| Galileo | NASA | orbiter | 1989 and 1995 |
| Europa Clipper | NASA | orbiter (Jupiter) with multiple Europa flybys | 2024 and planned |
| JUICE | ESA | orbiter | 2023 and planned |
| Europa Orbiter | NASA | orbiter proposed/canceled | canceled and canceled |
| Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) | NASA | orbiter proposed/canceled | canceled and canceled |
| EJSM-Laplace | NASA/ESA | proposed (multi-spacecraft) canceled | canceled and canceled |
| Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) | NASA | proposed/canceled | canceled and canceled |
| Europa Lander | NASA | lander proposed/canceled | canceled and canceled |
Images and Descriptions
Voyager 1
Voyager 1 flew past Jupiter and made a close Europa flyby in March 1979, returning the first detailed images of Europa’s icy surface and prompting questions about a subsurface ocean. Its observations set the stage for later targeted missions.
Voyager 2
Voyager 2 performed a Jupiter system flyby later in 1979, imaging Europa from a different angle and confirming surface features seen by Voyager 1. Its data helped refine Europa’s geology and informed subsequent mission planning.
Galileo
Galileo entered Jupiter orbit in 1995 and made more than 30 close encounters with Europa, providing strong evidence for a salty subsurface ocean, mapping chaotic terrains, and detecting magnetic signatures consistent with a conducting layer beneath the ice.
Europa Clipper
NASA’s Europa Clipper is designed to perform dozens of close flybys of Europa from Jupiter orbit, characterizing the ice shell, ocean, composition, and habitability. Its instruments target plume detection, ice thickness, and subsurface ocean signatures.
JUICE
ESA’s JUICE mission focuses on Ganymede but includes targeted Europa observations and planned Europa flybys to study surface composition and habitability. JUICE will characterize the Jovian system and provide context complementary to NASA’s Clipper investigations.
Europa Orbiter
The Europa Orbiter was a 1990s–2000s NASA concept to enter orbit around Europa, map ice thickness, search for a subsurface ocean, and assess habitability. The mission was canceled for budgetary and programmatic reasons before development.
Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO)
JEO was NASA’s planned component of the EJSM partnership, intended to orbit Europa, image its surface, and probe its interior. It was canceled as the international EJSM architecture evolved and budgets shifted.
EJSM-Laplace
The Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM–Laplace) was a joint NASA/ESA proposal combining spacecraft to study Europa, Ganymede, and the Jovian system. It laid conceptual groundwork but was not executed; elements later influenced JUICE and other proposals.
Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO)
JIMO was an ambitious nuclear-electric propulsion concept intended to visit Europa and other icy moons, enabling long-term orbital operations and detailed studies of subsurface oceans. The program was canceled in the mid-2000s before development.
Europa Lander
Multiple NASA-led Europa lander concepts proposed a robotic touchdown to directly sample surface material for biosignatures and chemistry. Though studied in detail and conceptually mature at times, a funded Europa lander has not flown and remains canceled or deferred.
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