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NASA's Europa Clipper Awaits Comet Encounter Amid Shutdown

10/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has a unique opportunity to encounter charged particles from the ion tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS between Oct 30 and Nov 6, 2025.
European researchers predict the alignment could reveal the comet's composition, but the U.S. government shutdown leaves NASA's Europa Clipper in cruise mode.
The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft will pass through the comet's tail, but lacks particle-detection instruments.

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Story summary

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has a unique opportunity to encounter charged particles from the ion tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS between Oct 30 and Nov 6, 2025.
European researchers predict the alignment could reveal the comet's composition, but the U.S. government shutdown leaves NASA's Europa Clipper in cruise mode.
The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft will pass through the comet's tail, but lacks particle-detection instruments.