A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket successfully took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, early Monday morning, carrying a NASA probe aimed at exploring Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, in search of signs of extraterrestrial life.
The Europa Clipper is now set on a remarkable journey spanning 1.8 billion miles over the next five and a half years to reach the solar system’s largest planet. “NASA has significantly reduced the risks associated with this mission,” stated Jordan Evans, the project manager for the Europa Clipper at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The Clipper’s path won’t be a straight line. It will utilize a gravity assist by swinging around Mars early next year and then looping back around Earth in late 2026 before heading toward the gas giant and its intriguing moon. The spacecraft is expected to arrive in 2030 and will collect data for over four years. To avoid contaminating Europa, Clipper will eventually crash into one of Jupiter’s rocky moons at the end of its mission.
The launch was originally scheduled for October 10 but was delayed as Clipper remained secured in SpaceX’s hangar to weather Hurricane Milton. On the day of the launch, Florida’s space coast enjoyed clear skies with just a few wispy clouds.
The scientific community has long pushed for a mission to Europa, especially following findings from NASA’s Galileo probe, which suggested that the moon may harbor a vast, hidden ocean beneath its surface, warmed by Jupiter’s gravitational pull. “Scientists have long advocated for a search for life near Jupiter, and it’s finally happening,” remarked Evans.
Given its water supply, potential heat sources, and possible organic materials, Europa is regarded as a prime candidate for hosting alien life. As Clipper orbits Jupiter, it will conduct multiple flybys of Europa, employing its suite of scientific instruments to investigate the moon’s ocean dynamics and search for organic compounds that could signal the existence of life.
The Europa Clipper mission, with a budget of $5 billion, was developed and constructed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, making it the largest planetary probe ever created by the agency.
SpaceX utilized its Falcon Heavy rocket—an enhanced version of the Falcon 9, equipped with two additional boosters on either side—to launch the probe. While SpaceX generally aims to recover its boosters, they allowed these to plunge into the ocean this time, depleting all their fuel to ensure Clipper could break free from Earth’s gravity. However, they plan to retrieve the fairings that protected the spacecraft during launch.
“The scientific community is fortunate to have access to new rockets with heavy-lift capabilities,” said Matthew Shindell, curator of planetary science and exploration at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “Attempting to launch a mission like this a decade ago would not have been possible.”
