NASA’s Europa Clipper Set For Launch On Oct 10
According to scientists, Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that could hold the building blocks necessary to sustain life
New Delhi: NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, scheduled for journey to Jupiter and its moon Europa, is “fuelled up and nearly ready to go” on October 10.
Europa Clipper is set to launch its first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter's moon Europa aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. According to scientists, Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that could hold the building blocks necessary to sustain life.
“Fueled up and nearly ready to go! Technicians at @NASAKennedy have loaded the propellant and oxidizer that will flow to our spacecraft's array of 24 engines as we explore Jupiter's enigmatic moon Europa. The launch period opens on October 10!”, NASA said in a post on X. Europa Clipper is slated to travel 2.6 billion kilometres to reach the Jupiter system, where it will arrive in 2030.
During its journey to Jupiter, it will make a flyby of Mars in February 2025, and then of Earth in December 2026.