NASA Europa Clipper mission lifts off from KSC on way to potential "water world"
- by The Indianapolis Star
- Oct 14, 2024
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When is the next Florida launch?Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule from Florida
Due to the extra boost needed to get this mission underway, SpaceX made the choice to not land and reuse the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle boosters. The boosters were disposed of, making a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. According to SpaceX, it was the sixth and final flight for these boosters. One year ago, these same boosters launched NASA's Psyche mission to a metal asteroid which NASA believes could be the core of an early planet.
What is NASA's Europa Clipper observing?
Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles through space, taking it past Mars in March 2025 and then back towards Earth, using the planets’ gravity as a slingshot to add speed to the spacecraft’s journey toward Jupiter.
Set to arrive at Europa in April 11, 2030, Europa Clipper will map the surface of the moon using its nine onboard instruments, looking for water plumes. The spacecraft will have to move quickly to avoid too much exposure to Jupiter's strong radiation. Over the course of the mission, the spacecraft will make 49 "clips" past Europa hence its name, Europa Clipper.
During the Juno mission, which orbited Jupiter in 2016, NASA proved that titanium aluminum was a good material to protect its spacecraft and sensitive instruments from this radiation. It fit the need to be hardy enough to support it from radiation but still allow the spacecraft to gather sensitive data. That's what is being used on this craft.
What happens after Europa Clipper launches atop SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
Europa Clipper is the 11th launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Once the Europa Clipper spacecraft separates from the Falcon Heavy second stage, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will take ownership of the mission.
Three hours after launch, the spacecraft's solar array panels are scheduled to deploy, and the spacecraft will be assessed. However, we will have to wait until after April 2030 to know if Europa does in fact host the conditions to support microbial life.
When is the next Florida, Cape Canaveral launch?
The Space Coast will not have to wait long for another rocket launch. SpaceX plans to launch its latest batch of Starlink internet satellites during an overnight window which runs between 1:26 a.m. and 5:56 a.m. EDT Tuesday morning − less than 24 hours after launching Europa Clipper.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
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