BURBANK >> The Jet Propulsion Laboratory may receive up to $118 million in funding for NASA’s flagship mission to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, under a bill that is expected to pass both the House and Senate this week.

Although NASA hasn’t officially authorized its first mission to Europa, a Galilean moon that could revolutionize science and redefine our place in the universe, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said increased federal funding will direct the agency to begin serious planning.

“This is great news for JPL and great news for planetary science,” he said. “We’ve got very strong funding for Mars 2020 and Europa. We’ve got very strong support from Democrats and Republicans, and it will allow us to keep what will be the dream team of science together. That is the dream team of JPL that knows how to pull off the most extraordinary missions and make the miraculous appear routine.”

Last year the federal government budgeted $16 million for NASA’s first mission to Europa, but this year it might give $118 million. The bulk of the money will go to the mission, but about $18 million will go toward studying technology needed for surface or subsurface exploration on Europa, one of the largest of Jupiter’s 50 moons.

If NASA approves the mission, it will most likely be led by NASA’s JPL, said Barry Goldstein, pre-project manager for the Europa Clipper mission concept at JPL. He said he’s hopeful the decision will be made next year. If that happens, the earliest NASA would be able to launch would be May or June 2022.

“Europa is quite probably the most exciting place to visit in the solar system relative to its potential to harboring life and the reason is the vast amount of water on it,” Goldstein said. “Scientists believe there is at least twice as much water on Europa as there is on Earth.”

Schiff said using the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations package, Congress will put adequate funding in space exploration. In May, the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee gave NASA a $17.5 billion budget, $1.45 billion of which would go to the planetary sciences. A final bill posted Tuesday night will, if passed, designate $18.01 billion to NASA, $364 million more than last year.

The Europa orbiter will be a radiation-tolerant spacecraft able to perform 45 flybys of a distant moon at varying altitudes, from 16 to 1,700 miles. Scientists believe that under its frozen surface, Europa is completely covered by an ocean 62 miles deep, Goldstein said. Scientists also think the moon’s rocky core has volcanic activity or hydrothermal vents, and nutrients that support life. Images of its surface show red spots that appear to be nutrients coming up from the subsurface, he said.

Over Schiff’s seven terms as a U.S. representative, he has championed space exploration and JPL’s endeavors. Last year the House Appropriations Committee was able to get a small amount for Europa even though the administration hadn’t requested any money for a Jupiter mission, he said.

“I think (the money) will go a long way in terms of helping us determine what the scope of the mission will be — early planning,” Schiff said. “JPL, through its work, gives us a chance to answer some of the most profound questions, including are we all alone, is there life out there.”

NASA has not confirmed the comprehensive suite of instruments that will be on a future Europa Clipper mission; however, Goldstein said instruments under consideration include radar to penetrate the frozen crust, an infrared spectrometer to investigate the composition of Europa’s surface materials and high-resolution cameras that will help scientists plan for a future lander.