NASA has successfully launched its alien-hunting mission to Jupiter’s fourth largest moon that could host the ingredients for life.
The Clipper spacecraft took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:08pm ET, tucked inside a SpaceX Falcon rocket.
The $5.2 billion probe is set to travel 1.8 billion-mile to Europa, meeting the target its target in April 2030, and perform more than 40 flybys to look for ‘conditions suitable for life.’
Europa has long been a prime candidate due to having an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface.
NASA official Gina DiBraccio said: ‘Europa is one of the most promising places to look for life beyond Earth.’
This is a developing story… more updates to come
The Clipper spacecraft took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 ET, tucked inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
While the mission is not looking specifically for life, Clipper was designed to help NASA learn if Europa has the necessary ingredients for life.
Scientists have previously determined that in order for a planet to have life it needs to have three main ingredients: temperatures that allow liquid water to exist; the presence of carbon-based molecules; and an energy input, such as sunlight.
And NASA believes Europa has them all.
Dr Buratti said exploratory missions such as this one always uncover something ‘that we could not have imagined.’
‘There is going to be something there – the unknown – that is going to be so wonderful that we can’t conceive of it right now,’ she said.
‘That’s the thing that excites me most.’
One of Jupiter’s 95 known moons, Europa is encased in an ice sheet estimated to be 10 to 15 miles or more thick.
Scientists believe this frozen crust hides a saltwater liquid ocean that could be at least 80 miles deep and hold about twice as much water as Earth’s oceans combined.
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy separated from the core stage about five minutes after launch, with the first stage following shortly after, which means Clipper has reached space for the first time.
One of Jupiter’s 95 known moons, Europa is encased in an ice sheet estimated to be 10 to 15 miles or more thick
NASA launched its Clipper probe on Monday. The craft is soaring to Jupiter’s fourth largest moon that is believed to host alien life
NASA and SpaceX have received data that both the Falcon Heavy rocket and Clipper are in good health as they sit in orbit.
The spacecraft is set to deploy just a little over one hour following the launch.
