Would you spend years journeying 444 million miles (630 million kilometers) to reach Europa, a frozen moon orbiting Jupiter? Today humans don’t have the technology for such a trip. But imagine if we did. What could you see and do there? You’re about to find out!

You stand on Europa’s icy surface. The first thing you notice is the sky. Jupiter rises above you. It’s the most massive planet in our solar system. The sky is full of stars. They shine even during the day. That’s because Europa has almost no atmosphere. This layer of gases scatters the sun’s light on Earth. That blocks light from the stars during the day.

Europa also has less gravity than Earth. You take a break from stargazing. You go low-gravity ice climbing. Chunks of ice cover the moon’s surface. Some stand almost as tall as the Empire State Building!

Europa wouldn’t be easy to travel across. Its surface is slippery. It has deep cracks. You’d have trouble getting out if you fell into one! Plus, Europa is very cold! It’s -250°F (-157°C) in the warmest, sunniest parts. That’s much colder than Antarctica!

But the biggest danger on Europa is radiation. Jupiter gives off invisible, high-energy waves. They’d burn you inside and out. You’d have to wear stiff gear for protection. You’d die within 11 minutes without it on Europa’s surface. So you could never take it off. Yikes!

Many scientists dream of traveling to Europa. Why? Because Europa might hold everything needed for life to exist. Scientists suspect hydrothermal vents, or cracks that spew superheated water, might be at the bottom of a salty ocean. The heat and minerals released through those vents may support living things, such as bacteria.

In October, NASA plans to send a new spacecraft—called Europa Clipper—to study this moon more closely. If all goes according to plan, the craft will reach its destination in 2030. Then it will hunt for evidence of Europa’s ocean—and whether alien life is thriving in it!

Many scientists dream of going to Europa. Why? Because it might have everything needed for life to exist. Scientists think the moon might have an ocean. Hydrothermal vents might be at the bottom of the ocean. These cracks spew hot water and minerals. That may support living things like bacteria. 

NASA plans to launch a new spacecraft in October. It’s called the Europa Clipper. It will study the moon more closely. The craft will reach the moon in 2030. That’s if all goes according to plan. Then it will hunt for signs of Europa’s ocean. It will also look for traces of alien life!

A trip to Europa could take five years—or more! You’d need food that wouldn’t spoil, such as dried foods like beef jerky. You’d also need oxygen to breathe. Astronauts pack these items today for any trip to space.

But how could you protect yourself from the deadly radiation on Europa? Maybe by heading under the ice! Europa’s icy shell may be 15 miles
(25 km) thick. NASA scientists believe that if astronauts tunneled down to the liquid ocean, the ice above would block the radiation. To do this, you’d need a good submarine and a cryobot. It’s a metal, tube-shaped robot that heats up to melt through ice. Scientists are working on this and other technology that might make human travel to Europa possible in the future.

A trip to Europa could take five years or more! You’d need food like beef jerky that wouldn’t spoil. You’d also need oxygen to breathe. Astronauts pack these items today for any trip to space.

But how could you protect yourself from the deadly radiation? Maybe by heading under the ice! Europa’s icy shell may be 15 miles (25 km) thick. Astronauts could tunnel down to the ocean. Scientists believe the ice above would block radiation. You’d need a good submarine to do this. And you’d need a cryobot. That’s a metal robot shaped like a tube. It heats up to melt through ice. Scientists are working on this and other technology. It might make human travel to Europa possible in the future.