Europa Clipper’s Elliptical Orbit (Artist’s Concept)

NASA's Europa Clipper will study Jupiter's moon Europa, which orbits the gas giant within a band of powerful radiation generated by the planet's strong magnetic field. The relative intensity of Jupiter's radiation bands is illustrated in this diagram, along with the orbits of Jupiter's three other largest moons: Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. To limit the damaging effects of radiation on the spacecraft, Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter elliptically, dipping in for dozens of close flybys of Europa. Between each pass, the spacecraft will retreat to a safer distance from which it can safely transmit the science data it collects back to Earth.