NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft launched on Monday into outer space to search for Jupiter's moon Europa, thus beginning its 3-billion-kilometre-long, 10-year mission.
The spacecraft will be launched into outer space by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch vehicle from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will travel for about five and a half years to reach Jupiter and then enter orbit around the giant planet.
Europa Clipper's primary mission Its goal is to study one of Jupiter's moons, Europa, and try to find liquid water on it.
According to plans, NASA's spacecraft could begin the most important phase of the mission in 2030, when it will repeatedly approach the surface of Europa at a distance of about 25 kilometers. Use of on-board radars It will search for signs of a liquid ocean beneath the moon's icy layer. The spacecraft's mission will end in 2034.
Most scientists are almost certain that there is liquid water under Europe's outer icy crust, which is between 15 and 24 kilometers thick.
Europe Clipper's unstated goal is to search for life. It has no detectors, but it will search for organic compounds and other evidence of life as it approaches Jupiter's 49 moons.
On the eve of Europa Clipper's launch, NASA researcher Gina Di Braccio stated, “Worlds with oceans like Europa are special not only because life can be conceived on them, but also because life is still possible on them today.“.
The research program, whose budget amounted to about $5.2 billion, almost failed during the preparation stage because of the device’s transistors. NASA researchers weren't sure they could withstand the strong magnetic radiation field superimposed around Jupiter. The launch was given the green light in September after it was confirmed that the components would withstand the rated level of radiation.
The Europa Clipper is the size of a basketball court, includes two large solar panels and weighs about 5,700 kilograms.
The launch was delayed due to Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida last week, so it was postponed from October 10 to October 14.
