NASA’s Europa Clipper has launched on a mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa, searching for signs of alien life. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carried the probe into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida, after a delay due to Hurricane Milton. The spacecraft is now on its 1.8-billion-mile journey, set to arrive in 2030.
The mission, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, involves gravity assists from Mars and Earth before reaching Jupiter. Once there, Clipper will conduct dozens of flybys of Europa to study its subsurface ocean and look for organic compounds that could indicate life.
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The $5 billion mission, equipped with advanced scientific instruments, aims to unlock the mysteries of Europa’s hidden ocean. It could provide crucial insights into potential habitats beyond Earth. While SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy boosters were expended for the launch, the rocket’s fairings will be recovered.
Scientists have long advocated for this mission, hoping to explore one of the solar system’s most intriguing worlds. With its combination of water, heat, and organic potential, Europa could hold answers about life beyond Earth.
