Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter
Artist's conception of the JIMO spacecraft exploring Jupiter and its moons
NamesJIMO
Mission typeJupiter orbiter
OperatorNASA
Mission durationCancelled
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerNorthrop Grumman
Launch massTotal (fully assembled):
36,375 kg (80,193 lb)
Dry massSpacecraft module:
16,193 kg (35,699 lb)
Reactor module:
6,182 kg (13,629 lb)
Payload mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
DimensionsFully deployed:
58.4 × 15.7 m (192 × 52 ft)
Power200 kilowatts
Start of mission
Launch dateNET May 2015 – January 2016
Planned
RocketDelta IV Heavy
Baseline (2005)
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-37B
Jupiter orbiter
Orbital insertionApril 2021
Planned
Orbital departureSeptember 2025
Planned
Europa orbiter
Orbital insertionSeptember 2025
Planned
Transponders
Bandwidth10-Mbit/s
TWTA power4 x 250 watts
Large Strategic Science Missions
Planetary Science Division

The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) was a proposed NASA spacecraft designed to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. The main target was Europa, where an ocean of liquid water may harbor alien life. Ganymede and Callisto, which are now thought to also have liquid, salty oceans beneath their icy surfaces, were also targets of interest for the probe.