The countdown has begun for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Europa Clipper mission, scheduled to take off on Monday.
The mission, initially planned to be launched on October 10, was delayed due to Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida last week. The storm also damaged parts of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, but it was soon opened to resume preparations for the Europa Clipper launch.
Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion km) to reach Jupiter in April 2030. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and focus on the planet's icy moon, Europa. The ambitious mission of the US space agency is aimed at exploring the potential existence of life on Jupiter's moon.
NASA Europa Clipper Launch Time
NASA's Europa Clipper is to lift off at 12:06 p.m. ET (16:06 UTC), or 9:36 p.m. IST, from the Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Space enthusiasts can actively participate in the launch event by posting pictures or videos of their custom look with the hashtag #RunwayToJupiter for a chance to be featured on NASA's website and social media channels.
Falcon Heavy is vertical at pad 39A in Florida ahead of tomorrow's launch of @NASA 's Europa Clipper → https://t.co/sXOX3pYMuW pic.twitter.com/XYXDu52jy2
October 13, 2024AdvertisementWhere To Watch NASA's Europa Clipper Launch Live?
The launch of NASA's Europa Clipper will be live-streamed on the space agency's official website nasa.gov. NASA's YouTube channel and official social media handles will also stream the launch.
The space agency is currently running a countdown to the launch event on its website.
About NASA's Europa Clipper
NASA's Europa Clipper, worth over $5.2 billion, is expected to last nearly 10 years, with the first five years spent on the journey to Jupiter and Europa.
The spacecraft is set to swing by Mars in March 2025, and then Earth in December 2026 to get gravity boosts from each planet. These encounters will place the probe on track to arrive at Jupiter on April 11, 2030.
With its solar arrays unfurled, Europa Clipper is the size of a tennis court, making it NASA's largest planetary probe in history.
AdvertisementUpon its arrival on Jupiter, the spacecraft will make close flybys of Europa, capturing images to study the moon's icy ocean.
While the Europa Clipper mission is due to end by June 2034, it may receive an extension, depending on the condition of the spacecraft.
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