NASA received new information from the Juno probe, suggesting that enough oxygen is produced on Jupiter’s moon Europa every day to support around 1 million people. Scientists first considered the possibility of oxygen formation on Europa after studies by the Galileo spacecraft launched in 1989, and now Juno has further solidified researchers’ belief that oxygen may be entering Europa’s ocean.
Europa is covered in ice, beneath which oceans may be hiding, along with possibly some form of biological life. Oxygen is formed on Europa due to its bombardment by charged particles from Jupiter – the moon is located in the giant planet’s radiation belts. With the help of radiation, water molecules, or ice on the planet’s surface, can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, which are detected by the probes’ sensors. Juno’s research has revealed that Europa produces 12 kg of oxygen per second.
Studying oxygen production on Jupiter’s moon will be one of the tasks of the NASA Europa Clipper mission, which is set to launch in October 2024. Upon arrival in Jupiter’s system in 2030, the probe will determine if there are conditions on Europa conducive to life.