NASA's Europa Clipper probe is finally on its way to the icy ocean moon of Jupiter, but it's going to take some time to get there — about six years. Fortunately, we don't have to wait that long ...

The star trackers — formally known as the stellar reference units — provide guidance by taking pictures ... investigating Europa’s composition; and characterizing the moon’s geology.

Earth might seem special in this regard but water is actually fairly abundant in our system, and Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is quickly becoming a prime candidate in the search for life.

"It's like a game of billiards around the solar system, flying by a couple of planets at just the right angle and timing to build up the energy we need to get to Jupiter and Europa." Today (March ...

NASA’s Europa Clipper craft was launched aboard a SpaceX rocket, aiming to conduct its first mission to study Jupiter’s icy ocean moon Europa. Photo: John Raoux/AP ...