Helping the Europa Clipper Reach its Destination

How AMETEK PDT's technology will contribute to the success of NASA's exploratory craft.

The potential for life outside of our home planet is an exciting possibility. One of the most promising environments for life are planets that contain water. Experts believe that Jupiter’s moon, Europa, almost certainly has a vast ocean underneath an icy outer crust. To explore this potential, NASA has planned the launch of an ambitious exploratory mission –   the Europa Clipper.

To prepare for this years-long journey, NASA had to ensure that each part of the Clipper was resilient enough to endure the harsh environment of space. According to NASA, the scientific equipment aboard the Europa are the most sensitive and advanced instruments that have explored our universe so far.

The Europa Clipper will capture data about dust, gas and plasma and other environmental conditions. To protect these sensitive instruments, NASA has encased them in what they are calling “The Vault”. The Vault protects these vital instruments from harsh radiation with sheets of aluminum-zinc alloy.

Also installed inside of The Vault is a Pacific Design Technologies liquid cooling system. PDT has worked with NASA on several other projects, and we are honored to help the Clipper arrive at its destination as well.

The PDT hardware consists of temperature control valves, pumps and an accumulator. This system is responsible for circulating a refrigerant to keep the sensitive electronic equipment at optimal operating temperature. The temperature control of these systems is of extreme importance. Failure in these systems would be catastrophic to the mission. Our facility in Goleta California hosts a NASA-certified clean room where the system was subjected to numerous tests to ensure that the Europa Clipper would be equipped with the most tested and trusted hardware possible.

At PDT, we pride ourselves on creating the most reliable liquid cooling systems. Our products are thoroughly tested to withstand the harshest environments, and the equipment on the Europa Clipper is no exception.

With decades of experience, our engineering team was able to craft a custom solution that will help ensure the safe operation of the craft on its journey to Jupiter and help support its mission to study Europa.

  As the launch date approaches, we are anticipating many exciting discoveries from the Europa Clipper.
To learn more about this mission, visit NASA's website.

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