NASA-SpaceX’s Europa Clipper off to explore Jupiter’s ocean world

NEW DELHI — SpaceX on Monday launched NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to explore the potential for life on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.

The $5 billion spacecraft launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida, at 12:06 p.m. EDT (9.36 pm IST).

“Liftoff, @EuropaClipper!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote in a post on X.

“Today, we embark on a new journey across the solar system in search of the ingredients for life within Jupiter’s icy moon. Our next chapter in space exploration has begun,” he added.

NASA’s Europa Clipper is the first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter’s moon Europa.

As per scientists, the Jovian moon Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that potentially could hold the ingredients necessary to sustain life.

“The mission will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our planet,” NASA said.

Although the flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory operations centre reported an apparent venting issue with the probe’s propulsion system, they later added that the system was still performing as expected.

Six hours post-launch the spacecraft will deploy its solar arrays, which span more than 30 metres and weigh nearly 6,000 kg.

Jupiter is on average some 480 million miles from Earth. The spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles over more than five years to reach the Jovian system in April 2030.

It will use “gravity assists” of two other planets — Earth and Mars — to help it accelerate towards Jupiter.

The team aims to understand the nature of the ice shell and the ocean beneath it, along with the Moon’s composition and geology.

The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and fly by Europa about 50 times.

The findings will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.

Meanwhile, the launch was also the 11th overall for the Falcon Heavy and its second interplanetary mission.

It was also the first Falcon Heavy launch to require the full expenditure of the vehicle’s three first-stage boosters.