Nine years after its approval, Europa Clipper, the Earth’s first mission designed to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter’s moon Europa by NASA, embarked on its long voyage to the distant planet following a liftoff at 12:06 p.m. (local time) aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“Approximately five minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s second stage fired up and the payload fairing, or the rocket’s nose cone, opened to reveal Europa Clipper. About an hour after launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket. Ground controllers received a signal soon after, and two-way communication was established at 1:13 p.m. with NASA’s Deep Space Network facility in Canberra, Australia. Mission teams celebrated as initial telemetry reports showed Europa Clipper is in good health and operating as expected,” a report from NASA said.
“In praise of mystery. After a successful launch aboard a @SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from @NASAKennedy, @EuropaClipper is on its way from our ocean world to another to see if Jupiter’s moon Europa has conditions suitable for life,” a tweet from the official X account of NASA read.
Separation confirmed!
— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2024
@EuropaClipper is now sailing through space on its own, bound for the Jupiter system. This "message in a bottle" carries the names and hopes of millions, as we voyage together to search for a habitable world beyond Earth. pic.twitter.com/iL3e7O916g
As per the space organisation, the spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) on a trajectory that will leverage the power of gravity assists, first to Mars in four months and then back to Earth for another gravity assist flyby in 2026. After it begins orbiting Jupiter in April 2030, the spacecraft will fly past Europa 49 times. NASA said there’s scientific evidence that the ingredients for life may exist on Europa right now.
The main goal of the mission is to determine whether Europa has conditions that could support life. Europa is about the size of Earth’s Moon, but its interior is different. Information from NASA’s Galileo mission in the 1990s showed strong evidence that under Europa’s ice lies an enormous, salty ocean with more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. Scientists also have found evidence that Europa may host organic compounds and energy sources under its surface.
“If the mission determines Europa is habitable, it may mean there are more habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond than imagined,” the report read.
Leaving our water world, to explore another 🚀@EuropaClipper launched from @NASAKennedy at 12:06pm ET (16:06 UTC) on a @SpaceX Falcon Heavy, beginning a 1.8-billion-mile journey to explore the mysteries of Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon. pic.twitter.com/IQ7uRSviMb
— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2024
In 2031, the spacecraft will begin conducting its science-dedicated flybys of Europa, as per NASA. The Europa Clipper is equipped with nine science instruments and a gravity experiment, including an ice-penetrating radar, cameras, and a thermal instrument to look for areas of warmer ice and any recent eruptions of water.
“To power those instruments in the faint sunlight that reaches Jupiter, Europa Clipper also carries the largest solar arrays NASA has ever used for an interplanetary mission. With arrays extended, the spacecraft spans 100 feet (30.5 meters) from end to end. With propellant loaded, it weighs about 13,000 pounds (5,900 kilograms),” NASA said.
Over 4,000 people have contributed to the Europa Clipper mission since it was formally approved in 2015.
Following the liftoff, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: “Congratulations to our Europa Clipper team for beginning the first journey to an ocean world beyond Earth. NASA leads the world in exploration and discovery, and the Europa Clipper mission is no different. By exploring the unknown, Europa Clipper will help us better understand whether there is the potential for life not just within our solar system, but among the billions of moons and planets beyond our Sun.”
Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: “We could not be more excited for the incredible and unprecedented science NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will deliver in the generations to come. Everything in NASA science is interconnected, and Europa Clipper’s scientific discoveries will build upon the legacy that our other missions exploring Jupiter — including Juno, Galileo, and Voyager — created in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet.”
Laurie Leshin, director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said: “We’re ecstatic to send Europa Clipper on its way to explore a potentially habitable ocean world, thanks to our colleagues and partners who’ve worked so hard to get us to this day. Europa Clipper will undoubtedly deliver mind-blowing science. While always bittersweet to send something we’ve labored over for years off on its long journey, we know this remarkable team and spacecraft will expand our knowledge of our solar system and inspire future exploration.”
Jordan Evans, project manager, NASA JPL, said: “As Europa Clipper embarks on its journey, I’ll be thinking about the countless hours of dedication, innovation, and teamwork that made this moment possible. This launch isn’t just the next chapter in our exploration of the solar system; it’s a leap toward uncovering the mysteries of another ocean world, driven by our shared curiosity and continued search to answer the question, ‘are we alone?’”
