San Antonio, Texas – Scientists have recently discovered that Jupiter’s icy moon Europa generates an impressive amount of oxygen, estimated at 1,000 tons every 24 hours. This finding, derived from data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft during a close flyby in September 2022, sheds light on the moon’s potential to sustain life.
Published in Nature Astronomy on March 4, the study conducted by NASA’s Juno mission team reveals that Europa produces around 26 pounds of oxygen per second from the outgassing of hydrogen on its icy surface. This production rate is significantly lower than previous estimates, which ranged from a few pounds to over 2,000 pounds per second.
Europa, the fourth largest of Jupiter’s 95 known moons, has long fascinated scientists due to its potential for harboring life. Hidden beneath its icy crust lies a vast salty ocean, making it an intriguing target for exploration. Scientists believe that the oxygen produced on the moon’s surface could potentially reach its subsurface ocean, providing a potential source of metabolic energy.
At Princeton University in New Jersey, JADE scientist Jamey Szalay describes Europa as an “ice ball slowly losing its water in a flowing stream,” emphasizing the dynamic interaction between the moon and its environment. When ionized particles from Jupiter bombard Europa, they break up water-ice molecules on the surface, creating hydrogen and oxygen.
Juno’s mission to Jupiter has provided valuable insights into Europa’s composition, with the spacecraft’s instruments detecting hydrogen and oxygen ions created by charged particles impacting the moon’s surface. The mission’s extended capabilities have allowed for a closer examination of Europa’s habitability, with future observations set to uncover even more about the moon’s potential for life.
NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission, scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in 2030, will continue to investigate the moon’s potential habitability, focusing on various aspects of its environment. As Juno sets its sights on exploring Jupiter’s moon Io, researchers anticipate that further discoveries will enhance our understanding of the Jovian system.