NASA spacecraft buzzes Jupiter moon Europa, closest in years

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Juno spacecraft has made the closest approach to Jupiter’s tantalizing, icy moon Europa in more than 20 years. The Juno spacecraft zoomed past Europa on Thursday, passing within 222 miles. Scientists hope to get lucky and capture pictures of possible water plumes shooting from Europa’s surface. Close in size to Earth’s moon, Europa is thought to have an ocean flowing beneath its thick frozen crust. The latest observations will help NASA plan for its Europa Clipper mission, due to launch in 2024. The European Space Agency also plans close encounters with its spacecraft lifting off next year.