“The safety of the launch team is our priority and every precaution will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper probe.”
We will have to wait a little longer to witness the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper probe. The $5 billion mission (October 10) aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. But Hurricane Milton canceled the plan. “NASA and SpaceX have decided to suspend the Thursday, October 10 launch attempt of the agency’s Europa Clipper mission due to expected hurricane conditions in the area,” NASA officials wrote in a statement issued Sunday (October 6). .
The unknown of Hurricane Milton
“Hurricane Milton is expected to move away from the Gulf of Mexico this week, moving eastward,” they added from NASA. “Strong winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on the east coast of Florida.” The launch team secured the probe inside the SpaceX hangar at KSC’s historic Launch Complex 39A. “The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority and every precaution will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program, said in the update.
It is too early to understand when Europa Clipper will be able to fly, but the mission still has a lot of time available: the launch window extends until November 6th. “Once we get the green light, followed by assessment of the facility and any recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this flagship NASA mission,” Dunn explained.
When will it arrive near Jupiter?
If all goes according to plan, Europa Clipper will reach Europa in 2030. The probe will orbit the gas giant but will study Europa, which is thought to host a huge ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell. The probe will use its nine scientific instruments to study that ocean, helping to assess Europa’s potential to host life as we know it. The probe’s observations will also help scientists identify good potential landing sites for a mission to the surface of Europa, which NASA plans to launch in the not-too-distant future.
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