Europa Clipper prepared to launch to Jupiter moon to search for life: How to watch
By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY,
13 hours ago
A NASA spacecraft is about to commence a six-year journey to the Jupiter moon of Europa to undertake the historic task of searching the icy ocean world for signs that it could sustain life.
Ahead of Milton, NASA made the call to delay the Clipper launch as teams secured the spacecraft in a hangar at Launch Complex 39A before it had been integrated with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Once the storm plowed into the Atlantic, teams returned to the spaceport to continue preparations and reschedule the launch.
This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter. The mission is targeting an Oct. 10, 2024, launch. NASA/JPL-Caltech
If for some reason the launch must be delayed again, NASA and SpaceX have indicated the launch window is open until Nov. 6.
The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Once it launches, ahead of the Clipper is a 1.8 billion-mile journey to Europa on a trajectory taking it past Mars and then Earth, using the planets’ gravity as a slingshot to add speed for the trek. After journeying for more than five years, the Europa Clipper will fire its engines to enter Jupiter's orbit in April 2030.
A view of Jupiter's moon Europa created from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990's. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute/ via Reuters
Because Europa conceals a vast ocean beneath its icy surface, scientists believe the celestial body presents one of the best opportunities to understand how life could exist beyond Earth . Scientists have long theorized that the icy crust above the ocean conceals evidence of organic compounds and energy sources that could potentially allow lifeforms to thrive .
With its massive solar arrays and radar antennas, the Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. When the uncrewed orbiter reaches the moon by 2030, it will begin the historic task of mapping and scanning above and beneath Europa's surface during nearly 50 flybys to determine whether the celestial body is indeed habitable, as scientists have long suspected.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
