NASA is set to launch its Europa Clipper mission on October 10, aimed at investigating whether Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, could support life. The spacecraft will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Europa is believed to harbor an ocean beneath its thick icy crust, with a volume twice that of all Earth's oceans. The mission will carry nine scientific instruments and a gravity science experiment to gather crucial data during multiple close flybys of the moon.
The primary objective of the Europa Clipper is to explore the moon's ice shell and underlying ocean, along with its composition and geology. This detailed examination will enhance our understanding of the moon's astrobiological potential and the possibility of habitable worlds beyond Earth.