Liftoff of Europa Clipper!
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) October 14, 2024
The #EuropaClipper spacecraft lifted off at 12:06pm ET Oct. 14 from Launch Pad 39A aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
The mission will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our… pic.twitter.com/rzqbmqvyBh
Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:43pm on 14 Oct 2024,Monday Science
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, beginning its 5.5-year journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Set to reach orbit in 2030, the mission will investigate whether Europa's subsurface ocean, hidden beneath an icy shell, could support life. Europa Clipper will conduct 49 close flybys to measure the ocean's depth and map the surface. Weighing 6,000 kg and equipped with solar arrays, the probe is designed to withstand Jupiter’s intense radiation while gathering data to help understand potential habitability beyond Earth.
