API VERSION: 1.2 API SOURCE: NASA/JPL Horizons API ******************************************************************************* Revised: May 07, 2025 Europa Clipper (Spacecraft) / (Sun, Jupiter) -159 https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/ https://europa.nasa.gov/ BACKGROUND: NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry a suite of science instruments to assess habitability of Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa (502) while confirming the existence and nature of an expected sub-surface ocean. Launched : 2024-Oct-14 16:06 UTC (SpaceX Falcon Heavy, KSC LC-39A) Mars gravity assist : 2025-Mar-01 Earth gravity assist: 2026-Dec-03 Arrival : 2030-Apr-11 (5.50 year time-of-flight) Mission length : 4.12 years (prime mission, JOI to E49) End-of-mission : 2034-Sep (directed to Ganymede impact ~30d after E49) The spacecraft is expected to orbit Jupiter 75 times and conduct 49 flybys of Europa at altitudes as low as 25 km. This will reduce exposure to the high levels of radiation Europa moves within. Gravity-assists from Europa (49), Ganymede (7), and Callisto (9) will be used to target different Europa close approach points on each flyby. SPACECRAFT: Considering solar arrays and radar antennas, Europa Clipper will be the largest spacecraft NASA has developed to-date for an interplanetary mission. When arrays are deployed, the spacecraft will span 30.5 meters. Main body (bus): 3 x 4.7 x 4 meters Dry mass (no propellant): 3241 kg Propellant: 2750 kg Solar power arrays: 2 x 14.2 x 4.1 meters SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS Europa Imaging System (EIS) Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS) Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) Gravity/Radio Science Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration/Europa (MASPEX) SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) SPACECRAFT TRAJECTORY (from JPL navigation): Segments marked by '*' below are pre-launch predictions. Based on tracking data through 2025-Apr-15. Data thereafter is predicted: Trajectory files (JPL mission design/nav) Start End ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- *21F31_MEGA_L241014_A300411_LP05_V7 (16:13 - 17:08) 2024-Oct-14 2024-Oct-14 trj_241014-241103-dco2410142047-postLaunch-OD001-v1 2024-Oct-14 2024-Oct-18 trj_241018-250130-dco2411082133-cru002-fin-OD018-v14 2024-Oct-18 2024-Nov-23 trj_241123-250315-dco2412031638-cru003-fin-OD020-v1 2024-Nov-23 2024-Dec-04 trj_241204-250311-dco2501221611-MGATRGa-OD034-v1 2024-Dec-04 2025-Jan-04 trj_250104-250614-dco2502250958-cru005-fin-OD042-v1 2025-Jan-04 2025-Feb-15 trj_250215-250726-dco2504160749-cruise006-final-OD055 2025-Feb-15 2025-Jul-26 *21F31_MEGA_L241014_A300411_LP05_V7 2025-Jul-26 2031-Feb-07 ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Ephemeris / API_USER Fri May 16 06:54:21 2025 Pasadena, USA / Horizons ******************************************************************************* Target body name: Europa Clipper (spacecraft) (-159) {source: Europa_Clipper_merged} Center body name: Earth (399) {source: Europa_Clipper_merged} Center-site name: iTelescope Obs., Siding Spring ******************************************************************************* Start time : A.D. 2024-Oct-31 00:00:00.0000 UT Stop time : A.D. 2024-Nov-01 00:00:00.0000 UT Step-size : 10 minutes ******************************************************************************* Target pole/equ : undefined Target radii : undefined Center geodetic : 149.0644, -31.2733577, 1.16499 {E-lon(deg),Lat(deg),Alt(km)} Center cylindric: 149.0644,5457.31536,-3292.4397 {E-lon(deg),Dxy(km),Dz(km)} Center pole/equ : ITRF93 {East-longitude positive} Center radii : 6378.137, 6378.137, 6356.752 km {Equator_a, b, pole_c} Target primary : Earth Vis. interferer : MOON (R_eq= 1737.400) km {source: Europa_Clipper_merge Rel. light bend : Sun {source: Europa_Clipper_merge Rel. lght bnd GM: 1.3271E+11 km^3/s^2 Atmos refraction: NO (AIRLESS) RA format : HMS Time format : CAL Calendar mode : Mixed Julian/Gregorian RTS-only print : NO EOP file : eop.250515.p250811 EOP coverage : DATA-BASED 1962-JAN-20 TO 2025-MAY-15. PREDICTS-> 2025-AUG-10 Units conversion: 1 au= 149597870.700 km, c= 299792.458 km/s, 1 day= 86400.0 s Table cut-offs 1: Elevation ( 0.0deg=YES),Airmass (>38.000=NO), Daylight (YES) Table cut-offs 2: Solar elongation ( 12.0,180.0=YES),Local Hour Angle( 0.0=NO ) Table cut-offs 3: RA/DEC angular rate ( 0.0=NO ) *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Date__(UT)__HR:MN R.A._____(ICRF)_____DEC Azi____(a-app)___Elev APmag S-brt r rdot delta deldot S-O-T /r S-T-O T-O-M/MN_Illu% RA_3sigma DEC_3sigma Sky_motion Sky_mot_PA RelVel-ANG *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** $$SOE >..... Elevation Cut-off Requested .....< >..... Daylight Cut-off Requested .....< 2024-Oct-31 15:20 r 08 35 56.83 +30 28 23.1 54.100692 -0.517577 n.a. n.a. 0.999612638168 2.2503450 0.06179105473590 5.7677062 94.6600 /L 81.8089 85.5/ 0.7132 n.a. n.a. 0.3328707 321.97454 87.531681 2024-Oct-31 15:30 08 35 56.66 +30 28 25.7 52.790606 1.203629 n.a. n.a. 0.999621666805 2.2519577 0.06181419518742 5.7729642 94.6676 /L 81.8000 85.6/ 0.6984 n.a. n.a. 0.3432744 318.66589 87.455999 2024-Oct-31 15:40 08 35 56.48 +30 28 28.2 51.441052 2.894793 n.a. n.a. 0.999630701909 2.2535703 0.06183735794591 5.7788292 94.6753 /L 81.7910 85.7/ 0.6838 n.a. n.a. 0.3541255 315.55623 87.377371 2024-Oct-31 15:50 08 35 56.28 +30 28 30.7 50.050287 4.554049 n.a. n.a. 0.999639743480 2.2551828 0.06186054542211 5.7852894 94.6830 /L 81.7820 85.9/ 0.6696 n.a. n.a. 0.3653078 312.63472 87.296682 2024-Oct-31 16:00 08 35 56.06 +30 28 33.2 48.616576 6.179421 n.a. n.a. 0.999648791519 2.2567953 0.06188375997785 5.7923320 94.6908 /L 81.7730 86.0/ 0.6555 n.a. n.a. 0.3767125 309.88912 87.214757 2024-Oct-31 16:10 08 35 55.83 +30 28 35.6 47.138201 7.768822 n.a. n.a. 0.999657846024 2.2584076 0.06190700392162 5.7999433 94.6987 /L 81.7639 86.1/ 0.6418 n.a. n.a. 0.3882393 307.30661 87.132359 2024-Oct-31 16:20 08 35 55.58 +30 28 37.9 45.613486 9.320048 n.a. n.a. 0.999666906995 2.2600199 0.06193027950399 5.8081082 94.7066 /L 81.7547 86.2/ 0.6283 n.a. n.a. 0.3997956 304.87424 87.050188 2024-Oct-31 16:30 08 35 55.32 +30 28 40.1 44.040817 10.830782 n.a. n.a. 0.999675974433 2.2616321 0.06195358891337 5.8168107 94.7145 /L 81.7455 86.3/ 0.6151 n.a. n.a. 0.4112963 302.57941 86.968881 2024-Oct-31 16:40 08 35 55.05 +30 28 42.3 42.418669 12.298593 n.a. n.a. 0.999685048336 2.2632443 0.06197693427189 5.8260337 94.7225 /L 81.7363 86.4/ 0.6022 n.a. n.a. 0.4226637 300.41003 86.889022 2024-Oct-31 16:50 08 35 54.76 +30 28 44.4 40.745636 13.720931 n.a. n.a. 0.999694128704 2.2648563 0.06200031763134 5.8357593 94.7305 /L 81.7270 86.5/ 0.5895 n.a. n.a. 0.4338266 298.35471 86.811136 2024-Oct-31 17:00 08 35 54.45 +30 28 46.4 39.020467 15.095143 n.a. n.a. 0.999703215538 2.2664683 0.06202374096881 5.8459682 94.7386 /L 81.7177 86.6/ 0.5771 n.a. n.a. 0.4447201 296.40282 86.735700 2024-Oct-31 17:10 08 35 54.14 +30 28 48.3 37.242106 16.418466 n.a. n.a. 0.999712308836 2.2680802 0.06204720618330 5.8566407 94.7467 /L 81.7083 86.7/ 0.5650 n.a. n.a. 0.4552849 294.54451 86.663144 2024-Oct-31 17:20 08 35 53.81 +30 28 50.1 35.409729 17.688047 n.a. n.a. 0.999721408598 2.2696920 0.06207071509194 5.8677558 94.7548 /L 81.6989 86.8/ 0.5532 n.a. n.a. 0.4654667 292.77070 86.593854 2024-Oct-31 17:30 08 35 53.47 +30 28 51.9 33.522797 18.900949 n.a. n.a. 0.999730514824 2.2713038 0.06209426942691 5.8792919 94.7629 /L 81.6895 86.9/ 0.5417 n.a. n.a. 0.4752162 291.07305 86.528176 2024-Oct-31 17:40 A 08 35 53.13 +30 28 53.5 31.581098 20.054168 n.a. n.a. 0.999739627514 2.2729155 0.06211787083128 5.8912263 94.7711 /L 81.6800 87.0/ 0.5304 n.a. n.a. 0.4844884 289.44388 86.466418 2024-Oct-31 17:50 A 08 35 52.77 +30 28 55.1 29.584799 21.144654 n.a. n.a. 0.999748746668 2.2745271 0.06214152085657 5.9035360 94.7793 /L 81.6706 87.1/ 0.5194 n.a. n.a. 0.4932427 287.87616 86.408854 2024-Oct-31 18:00 A 08 35 52.40 +30 28 56.5 27.534498 22.169332 n.a. n.a. 0.999757872284 2.2761386 0.06216522095918 5.9161968 94.7876 /L 81.6610 87.2/ 0.5087 n.a. n.a. 0.5014418 286.36343 86.355725 2024-Oct-31 18:10 A 08 35 52.02 +30 28 57.9 25.431266 23.125131 n.a. n.a. 0.999767004363 2.2777500 0.06218897249807 5.9291840 94.7958 /L 81.6515 87.3/ 0.4982 n.a. n.a. 0.5090524 284.89973 86.307241 2024-Oct-31 18:20 N 08 35 51.64 +30 28 59.1 23.276692 24.009016 n.a. n.a. 0.999776142905 2.2793614 0.06221277673199 5.9424725 94.8041 /L 81.6419 87.4/ 0.4880 n.a. n.a. 0.5160443 283.47959 86.263585 2024-Oct-31 18:30 N 08 35 51.25 +30 29 00.3 21.072922 24.818022 n.a. n.a. 0.999785287909 2.2809727 0.06223663481703 5.9560362 94.8124 /L 81.6324 87.5/ 0.4781 n.a. n.a. 0.5223908 282.09790 86.224912 2024-Oct-31 18:40 Nm 08 35 50.85 +30 29 01.3 18.822678 25.549294 n.a. n.a. 0.999794439374 2.2825839 0.06226054780442 5.9698488 94.8207 /L 81.6228 87.6/ 0.4685 n.a. n.a. 0.5280678 280.74995 86.191351 2024-Oct-31 18:50 Cm 08 35 50.44 +30 29 02.2 16.529279 26.200128 n.a. n.a. 0.999803597301 2.2841950 0.06228451663857 5.9838834 94.8290 /L 81.6132 87.6/ 0.4591 n.a. n.a. 0.5330546 279.43131 86.163010 2024-Oct-31 19:00 Cm 08 35 50.03 +30 29 03.0 14.196637 26.768010 n.a. n.a. 0.999812761689 2.2858061 0.06230854215524 5.9981128 94.8373 /L 81.6036 87.7/ 0.4500 n.a. n.a. 0.5373330 278.13783 86.139970 >..... Daylight Cut-off Requested .....< $$EOE *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Column meaning: TIME Times PRIOR to 1962 are UT1, a mean-solar time closely related to the prior but now-deprecated GMT. Times AFTER 1962 are in UTC, the current civil or "wall-clock" time-scale. UTC is kept within 0.9 seconds of UT1 using integer leap-seconds for 1972 and later years. Conversion from the internal Barycentric Dynamical Time (TDB) of solar system dynamics to the non-uniform civil UT time-scale requested for output has not been determined for UTC times after the next July or January 1st. Therefore, the last known leap-second is used as a constant over future intervals. Time tags refer to the UT time-scale conversion from TDB on Earth regardless of observer location within the solar system, although clock rates may differ due to the local gravity field and no analog to "UT" may be defined for that location. Any 'b' symbol in the 1st-column denotes a B.C. date. First-column blank (" ") denotes an A.D. date. CALENDAR SYSTEM Mixed calendar mode was active such that calendar dates after AD 1582-Oct-15 (if any) are in the modern Gregorian system. Dates prior to 1582-Oct-5 (if any) are in the Julian calendar system, which is automatically extended for dates prior to its adoption on 45-Jan-1 BC. The Julian calendar is useful for matching historical dates. The Gregorian calendar more accurately corresponds to the Earth's orbital motion and seasons. A "Gregorian-only" calendar mode is available if such physical events are the primary interest. NOTE: "n.a." in output means quantity "not available" at the print-time. SOLAR PRESENCE (OBSERVING SITE) Time tag is followed by a blank, then a solar-presence condition code: '*' Daylight (refracted solar upper-limb on or above apparent horizon) 'C' Civil twilight/dawn 'N' Nautical twilight/dawn 'A' Astronomical twilight/dawn ' ' Night OR geocentric ephemeris LUNAR PRESENCE WITH TARGET RISE/TRANSIT/SET EVENT MARKER (OBSERVING SITE) The solar-presence code column is immediately followed by another marker: 'm' Refracted upper-limb of Moon on or above apparent horizon ' ' Refracted upper-limb of Moon below apparent horizon OR geocentric The lunar presence marker (an ongoing state) can be over-ridden by a target event marker if an event has occurred since the last output step: 'r' Rise (target body on or went above cut-off RTS elevation) 'e' Elevation max (target body maximum elevation angle has occurred) 't' Transit (target body at or passed through observer meridian) 's' Set (target body on or went below cut-off RTS elevation) RTS MARKERS (TVH) Rise and set are with respect to the reference ellipsoid true visual horizon defined by the elevation cut-off angle. Horizon dip and yellow-light refraction (Earth only) are considered. Accuracy is < or = to twice the requested search step-size. 'R.A._____(ICRF)_____DEC' = Astrometric right ascension and declination of the target center with respect to the observing site (coordinate origin) in the reference frame of the planetary ephemeris (ICRF). Compensated for down-leg light-time delay aberration. Units: RA in hours-minutes-seconds of time, HH MM SS.ff{ffff} DEC in degrees-minutes-seconds of arc, sDD MN SC.f{ffff} 'Azi____(a-app)___Elev' = Airless apparent azimuth and elevation of target center. Compensated for light-time, the gravitational deflection of light, stellar aberration, precession and nutation. Azimuth is measured clockwise from north: North(0) -> East(90) -> South(180) -> West(270) -> North (360) Elevation angle is with respect to a plane perpendicular to the reference surface local zenith direction. TOPOCENTRIC ONLY. Units: DEGREES 'APmag S-brt' = The targets' approximate apparent visual magnitude and surface brightness. For planets and natural satellites, output is restricted to solar phase angles covered by observational data. Outside the observed phase angle range, "n.a." may be output to avoid extrapolation beyond the limit of model validity. For Earth-based observers, the estimated dimming due to atmospheric absorption (extinction) is available as a separate, requestable quantity. Surface brightness is the average airless visual magnitude of a square-arcsecond of the illuminated portion of the apparent disk. It is computed only if the target radius is known. Units: MAGNITUDES & MAGNITUDES PER SQUARE ARCSECOND 'r rdot' = The Sun's apparent range ("r", light-time aberrated) and range-rate ("rdot") relative to the target center, as seen by the observer. A positive "rdot" means the target center was moving away from the Sun, negative means moving toward the Sun. Units: AU and KM/S 'delta deldot' = Apparent range ("delta", light-time aberrated) and range-rate ("delta-dot") of the target center relative to the observer. A positive "deldot" means the target center is moving away from the observer, negative indicates movement toward the observer. Units: AU and KM/S 'S-O-T /r' = Sun-Observer-Target apparent SOLAR ELONGATION ANGLE seen from the observers' location at print-time. The '/r' column provides a code indicating the targets' apparent position relative to the Sun in the observers' sky, as described below: Case A: For an observing location on the surface of a rotating body, that body rotational sense is considered: /T indicates target TRAILS Sun (evening sky: rises and sets AFTER Sun) /L indicates target LEADS Sun (morning sky: rises and sets BEFORE Sun) Case B: For an observing point that does not have a rotational model (such as a spacecraft), the "leading" and "trailing" condition is defined by the observers' heliocentric ORBITAL motion: * If continuing in the observers' current direction of heliocentric motion would encounter the targets' apparent longitude first, followed by the Sun's, the target LEADS the Sun as seen by the observer. * If the Sun's apparent longitude would be encountered first, followed by the targets', the target TRAILS the Sun. Two other codes can be output: /* indicates observer is Sun-centered (undefined) /? Target is aligned with Sun center (no lead or trail) The S-O-T solar elongation angle is numerically the minimum separation angle of the Sun and target in the sky in any direction. It does NOT indicate the amount of separation in the leading or trailing directions, which would be defined along the equator of a spherical coordinate system. Units: DEGREES 'S-T-O' = The Sun-Target-Observer angle; the interior vertex angle at target center formed by a vector from the target to the apparent center of the Sun (at reflection time on the target) and the apparent vector from target to the observer at print-time. Slightly different from true PHASE ANGLE (requestable separately) at the few arcsecond level in that it includes stellar aberration on the down-leg from target to observer. Units: DEGREES 'T-O-M/MN_Illu%' = Target-Observer-Moon LUNAR ELONGATION angle and illuminated percentage. The apparent lunar elongation angle between target body center and Moon center, seen from the observing site, along with fraction of the lunar disk illuminated by the Sun. A negative lunar elongation angle indicates the target center is behind the Moon. Units: DEGREES & PERCENT 'RA_3sigma DEC_3sigma' = Uncertainty in Right-Ascension and Declination. Output values are the formal +/- 3 standard-deviations (sigmas) around nominal position. Units: ARCSECONDS 'Sky_motion Sky_mot_PA RelVel-ANG' = Total apparent angular rate of the target in the plane-of-sky. "Sky_mot_PA" is the position angle of the target's direction of motion in the plane-of-sky, measured counter-clockwise from the apparent of-date north pole direction. "RelVel-ANG" is the flight path angle of the target's relative motion with respect to the observer's line-of-sight, in the range [-90,+90], where positive values indicate motion away from the observer, negative values are toward the observer: -90 = target is moving directly toward the observer 0 = target is moving at right angles to the observer's line-of-sight +90 = target is moving directly away from the observer UNITS: ARCSECONDS/MINUTE, DEGREES, DEGREES Computations by ... Solar System Dynamics Group, Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 91109 USA General site: https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/ Mailing list: https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/email_list.html System news : https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/news.html User Guide : https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/manual.html Connect : browser https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/x API https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/horizons.html command-line telnet ssd.jpl.nasa.gov 6775 e-mail/batch https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/ftp/ssd/horizons_batch.txt scripts https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/ftp/ssd/SCRIPTS Author : Jon.D.Giorgini@jpl.nasa.gov ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************