CU Boulder space instrument going to Jupiter’s moon looking for conditions that support life

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Soon, a space instrument made at the University of Colorado Boulder will be on a multi-year mission to Jupiter’s moon , Europa, to look for conditions that support life.

According to Daniel Strain, a science writer at the university, the instrument, known as the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), is a $52 million piece of equipment designed and built by a team at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at CU Boulder.

Strain said scientists believe there could be an ocean underneath the icy surface of the moon and are sending a few pieces of equipment to Europa to see if there are conditions that support life.

Here’s what it looks like:

The analyzer, described by Strain as “a mobile chemistry lab,” will move at 10,000 mph to collect particles of ice around Europa. It’s tasked with analyzing the particles and to see if there’s a potential ocean.

The analyzer is one of a few pieces heading to the moon, which is planned to launch as early as Oct. 10. Strain said that when the equipment arrives at the moon, which will be in 2031, it will spend over four years looking for conditions to support life.

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