Add a splash of NASA to your desktop or phone with scenes of a water world.
The launch window for @EuropaClipper, our mission to Jupiter’s ocean moon, opens on Oct. 10. Dive into the excitement with these brand-new wallpapers: https://t.co/7bnPUWBaTv pic.twitter.com/JeraPa2bGF
— NASA (@NASA) October 4, 2024
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, set to launch on October 10, has been postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Milton. The $5 billion mission aims to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa using a Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA and SpaceX have decided to stand down from the launch attempt to ensure the safety of launch team personnel.
NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Oct. 10 launch attempt of the agency’s #EuropaClipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area.
The next launch opportunity will be assessed after Hurricane Milton passes.
More: https://t.co/n0P0KPmxMn pic.twitter.com/9ALCNOcmv4
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) October 6, 2024
Hurricane Milton is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain to the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast. The Europa Clipper probe has been secured inside SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, and other preparations are underway at the NASA center for the hurricane’s arrival.
Launch delay due to hurricane threat
What do #EuropaClipper and Florida have in common? They're both water destinations!
After launching on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from LC-39A here on the space coast NET Oct. 10, the spacecraft will study Jupiter's moon Europa for habitability conditions. pic.twitter.com/hv6B83eE5p
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) October 6, 2024
Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program, stated, “The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
The exact new launch date is yet to be determined, but NASA officials have indicated that the launch window for the mission extends through November 6. Once the hurricane has passed and the facilities have been assessed for any necessary recovery actions, the next launch opportunity for this NASA flagship mission will be determined. If launched successfully, the Europa Clipper spacecraft is expected to reach the Jupiter system in 2030.
The probe will orbit Jupiter and conduct detailed reconnaissance of its moon Europa, which is believed to harbor a vast ocean beneath its icy crust. Over dozens of flybys, Clipper’s nine science instruments will help assess Europa’s potential to harbor life and identify promising landing sites for future missions focused on seeking signs of life on Europa’s surface. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is currently being assembled at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, with advanced instruments that will enable groundbreaking studies of Europa’s icy surface and subsurface ocean.
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