Spacecraft Makers: Sewing Blankets for NASA’s Europa Clipper

See how a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory sews and installs thermal blankets to protect the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft from the cold and harsh environment it will face around Jupiter as it investigates the planet’s ice-encrusted moon Europa.
In this episode of the Spacecraft Makers video series, Mark Duran and Morgan Betsill provide a behind-the-scenes look at JPL’s “Shield Shop,” where layers of the thermal blankets come together before they are installed on the spacecraft. Then, these custom blankets are carefully fitted onto the spacecraft in a clean room at JPL.
Spacecraft Makers is a video series that takes audiences behind the scenes to learn more about how space missions, like Europa Clipper, come together. Europa Clipper will explore this icy moon of Jupiter to see if there are conditions suitable for life. The spacecraft needs to be hardy enough to survive a 1.6 billion-mile, six-year journey to Jupiter - and sophisticated enough to perform a detailed science investigation of Europa once it arrives at the Jupiter system in 2030.
Europa Clipper is expected to launch in October 2024 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
When the spacecraft is in JPL’s clean room, viewers also can watch a 24-hour live feed of the spacecraft here.
For more information on the mission go to: europa.nasa.gov/.
For more information on this video series, which focuses on how space missions come together, visit bit.ly/49MWe54.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[@atomicjay42]

Thank you so much for sharing this! This is something that you'd normally never think of! There are so many people with so many really specialized tasks and it's just amazing.

[@EmilianoGirina]

I find the extreme attention to detail that space exploration requires magnificent.

[@cogoid]

This was so awesome! 3D printed models, hand sketches, brown paper patterns, and the output goes to a very sophisticated modern space probe. it is always great to see the people who are doing this work with their hands.

[@kathrynward9365]

Wow this is so impressive !!! Thanks for sharing Morgan thermal blanketer

[@bnbcraft6666]

Hope the mission will be a success and will lay the ground work for future missions, praying for Clippers success 🙏

[@JubiTheVille]

I would love to use materials like this to sew into a Tipi for some use in the cold northern winters.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

I want a robot space blanket!

[@P.Ttrying]

Once more into the breach my friend, prepare preparing prepared 🙏🚀🌌

[@osmia]

Well that just brings out the anthropomorphism in me. Thinking of it going up there all cuddled in a snuggly blanket

[@cadmanfox6874]

In my opinion its strange how few people know about the Clipper project.

[@matthewhenson2421]

Go Europa Clipper

[@shanlian8024]

Thanks for sharing! 🚀
I was so impressed about all the work done, for creating such an amazing spacecraft. Your video is fabulous. we can feel the passion of all members of this project 😍
I have dreamed of becoming an engineer at JPL since the land off of the curiosity mars rover. As a French engineer Embedded system and robotics, I hope being part of a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory🥰
I wish you all the success for the future 🎇

[@ruthmendez8507]

🎉🎉🎉

[@carmamd]

.❤ spectacular !!!

[@Rmm1722]

nice

[@EmilianoGirina]

What job does mom do? Mom is a seamstress, she sews coats for space robots!

[@legobuildinggamer4048]

How far are you to launching I’ve been wanting to find out how far away launch is for months

[@MoisesIsaacSosaRios]

Muy name going to go yo Europa

[@RamonGuilherme-q4q]

🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@farkldusun]

🙏🙏👍

[@JurassiccityAJ]

NASA can I join you to go to mars this is my dream I would like to go there and return to earth... please say yes😍😃 my name is Matheus Enrique I live in Brazil🚀

[@Slowphoton]

My name is a bottle will be warm and fuzzy