NASA-SpaceX Will Launch Europa Clipper To Jupiter's Moon Today; When And Where To Watch It LIVE

On October 14, NASA's Europa Clipper will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, which is believed to have a vast ocean beneath its icy shell.

Europa Clipper Launch: NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Europa Clipper, a groundbreaking mission designed to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, on Monday, October 14. The spacecraft will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission’s journey to Jupiter will span about 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometres) over five and a half years. 

The earlier date for Europa Clipper launch was deferred due to Hurricane Milton.  

Europa Clipper Launch Time 

The liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is targeted for 12:06 pm EDT (9:36 pm in India). 

When And Where To Watch Europa Clipper Launch LIVE?

While live coverage of the prelaunch activities has been on since Sunday, the launch coverage will start at 11 am EDT (8:30 pm IST) on Monday across NASA’s platforms — YouTube, NASA+, and social media channels.

What Is The NASA-SpaceX Europa Clipper Mission?

Europa, one of the solar system’s most promising sites for extraterrestrial life, has intrigued scientists for decades. Beneath its icy crust, Europa is believed to harbour a vast ocean containing twice the amount of liquid water found in Earth’s oceans. This mission marks NASA’s first in-depth investigation of the icy moon, aiming to determine if Europa’s conditions might be suitable for life. Carrying nine advanced instruments and a gravity experiment, Europa Clipper will perform 49 close flybys, capturing high-resolution images, mapping the icy shell, and examining its potential for habitability.

According to NASA, Europa Clipper, utilising gravity-assist manoeuvres past Mars and Earth, will accelerate toward its destination, where it will begin orbiting Jupiter in April 2030. Once there, the spacecraft will study Europa’s surface and subsurface, focusing on three primary objectives: measuring the thickness of the icy shell, analysing its composition, and investigating geological activity.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is leading the mission development, in collaboration with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and NASA’s Goddard, Marshall, and Langley research centers. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center oversees the mission's program management, while NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, coordinates today’s launch with SpaceX.