NASA’s Europa Clipper is using Mars and Earth’s gravity to travel efficiently to Jupiter. The spacecraft will study Europa’s ice and ocean.

NASA's Europa Clipper will fly past Mars today to adjust its trajectory and position itself for a critical phase of its 1.8-billion-mile (2.9-billion-kilometer) trek to the Jupiter system.

NASA's Europa Clipper is about to use Mars' gravitational pull to slingshot itself towards Jupiter's smallest moon later this week. The craft launched from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in October 2024,

The spacecraft, launched in 2024, will use gravitational assists from Mars and Earth to reach Jupiter’s moon Europa by 2030.