Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey novel is arguably outshone by its live-action counterpart, but how many people know about about its sequel? Released in 1982, 2010: Odyssey Two gave us a potential glimpse into the future of the human race. The book contained a stark warning from some aliens, and while it's only a work of fiction, it suggests that we were thinking about Europa as a potential source of alien life as far back as the '80s.
Jupiter's smallest moon was discovered way back in 16010, but more recently, it's been speculated that its water ocean beneath the surface could harbor life. Back in the 1990s, NASA’s Galileo mission discovered a potential ocean beneath the surface.
In October 2024, NASA launched the Europa Clipper space probe as part of the most advanced search for alien life. Although it's not due to reach Europa until April 20230, it means we could technically find real proof of alien life in 2,334 days.
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There are some problems with the mission, and as Jupiter's moon of Io shoots out sulfur dioxide that's then ionized in Jupiter's magnetic field and hurled around at 300 kilometers per second, getting anywhere near Europa is a problem. This radiation is described as 'kryptonite' to electronics, but for the Europa Clipper, it'll stand back and analyze Europa from a far, swooping in every few weeks to avoid being smashed to pieces.
Europa might not be the haven you think of, and if you stood on its surface, you'd be blasted with 5,400 millisieverts of radiation in a single day. This is over 1,800 times more than your average yearly dose on Earth, suggesting Europa isn't the hospitable moon you might believe. Although Europa's surface is thought to be -160 degrees celsius, underwater vents could be sustaining life. With Europa potentially having had an ocean for four billion years, it would be more than enough time for life to evolve here. Don't expect alien space squid, and in all honesty, it's likely just single-cell organisms that will be found on Europa.
The Europa Clipper won't be able to drill through the ice on Europa's surface in search of life, but instead, geyser eruptions could hold signs of life. Saturn's Enceladus could also have proof of life in the stars, although it's thought that Europa's ocean is older so is more likely to be home to some form of life.
Future missions hope to put a lander on the surface of Europa, and if life can be found, expect it to be one giant leap for mankind.
Alongside the Europa Clipper, the European Space Agency has its Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) mission, which is expected to arrive 15 months after NASA.
The race to Europa is on, and while we doubt it'll be renamed as Earth II, our first real signs of alien life just got a little bit closer.