NASA's Europa Clipper will streak just 550 miles (884 kilometers) above the surface of Mars for what's known as a gravity assist—a maneuver to bend the spacecraft's trajectory and position it for a critical leg of its long voyage to the Jupiter system.

NASA’s Europa Clipper is using Mars and Earth’s gravity to travel efficiently to Jupiter. The spacecraft will study Europa’s ice and ocean.

NASA's Europa Clipper is about to use Mars' gravitational pull to slingshot itself towards Jupiter's smallest moon later this week. The craft launched from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in October 2024,

The spacecraft, launched in 2024, will use gravitational assists from Mars and Earth to reach Jupiter’s moon Europa by 2030.