Bonnie Buratti, a planetary astronomer, vividly recalls the moment she first learned about the possibility of life on Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons. It was during her time as a graduate student at Cornell University in the 1980s, and she was studying images from the Voyager 1 and 2 flybys in 1979. Seeing Europa’s cracked icy surface in those early images sparked her interest, leading her to propose that the cracks were filled with material that had welled up from beneath the ice, hinting at the existence of something beneath the surface.
Back then, the idea of an ocean hidden beneath Europa’s ice seemed far-fetched. However, over the past four decades, the search for life in the solar system has evolved into a serious endeavor, with NASA launching the Europa Clipper mission in October 2024. Buratti, now a deputy project scientist for Europa Clipper, is excited to be part of this mission that aims to explore the habitability of Europa, a moon that has long been considered a promising candidate for hosting life.
Buratti’s interest in space science dates back to her childhood, coinciding with the dawn of the space age. Growing up during the era of Sputnik and the Apollo moon landings, she developed a fascination with the cosmos and astronomy. Her passion for planetary science was fueled by working with renowned figures in the field, such as Carl Sagan and Joe Veverka, during her graduate studies. They instilled in her a sense of curiosity and wonder about the universe’s vast possibilities.
While working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab since 1985, Buratti has been involved in various missions, including the Cassini mission to Saturn. Exploring Saturn’s moons, such as Titan, Enceladus, and Iapetus, revealed surprising discoveries like hydrocarbon lakes and watery plumes, expanding the understanding of subsurface oceans in the solar system. These findings have reshaped perceptions of extraterrestrial environments that may harbor life and have paved the way for missions like Europa Clipper to seek out habitable worlds.
With Europa Clipper set to arrive at Jupiter in 2030, scientists anticipate groundbreaking insights into Europa’s potential habitability. The mission’s objectives include studying the moon’s surface composition, gravity, and internal structure to assess its suitability for life. Buratti, now part of the Clipper mission team, is dedicated to maximizing the scientific returns from the mission. She is confident in the mission’s ability to uncover evidence of a habitable environment on Europa, drawing parallels with Earth where water is often associated with life.
As humanity’s quest for extraterrestrial life continues, the Europa Clipper mission represents a pinnacle in the exploration of potentially habitable worlds in the solar system and beyond. The lessons learned from Europa and similar ocean worlds may revolutionize our understanding of life’s prevalence in the universe, offering tantalizing prospects for future discoveries beyond our home planet. Through Buratti’s enduring dedication and leadership, the search for life beyond Earth is propelled into a new era of exploration and scientific advancement.