Tech Desk 
Oct 07, 2024
Hurricane Milton has delayed NASA's much-awaited Europa Clipper mission. The $5 billion spacecraft was scheduled to launch on October 10 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. However, with an impending hurricane looming overhead, NASA and SpaceX have plans to pause the mission launch.
What is Europa in space?
The Europa Clipper mission will study Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, where scientists believe that beneath its frozen crust is a vast ocean that could potentially sustain life.
The spacecraft is designed to study Europa's subsurface ocean, the ice shell, and the surrounding environment with nine advanced science instruments.
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Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to hit the area of Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island as Hurricane Milton approaches. To ensure that launch team members are secure, NASA and SpaceX have taken the probe indoors, where it will remain in SpaceX's hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Centre.
NASA’s Europa Clipper launch date
NASA still says there is an open launch window for the Europa Clipper mission through November 6, despite this recent delay in the initial launch date. NASA officials will assess another launch opportunity when Hurricane Milton passes.
Six years will pass until the spacecraft reaches Jupiter in 2030 after launching. Its main objectives are to characterise the subsurface ocean of Europa, and study the ice shell covering the moon and its surrounding environment.
Moreover, the mission aims to identify the nearest accessible landing sites for future life-hunting missions.
