NASA Europa Clipper Launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy

NASA's Europa Clipper mission is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center to explore the icy moon Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons, in search of conditions that could support life. The mission aims to investigate the subsurface ocean beneath Europa's thick ice crust, which is believed to be nutrient-rich and potentially habitable. Over a nearly six-year journey and through 50 flybys, the spacecraft will use advanced instruments to analyze the moon's icy shell and the ocean below, looking for key ingredients of life such as water, organic compounds, and thermal energy sources. The $5.2 billion mission seeks not to find life directly but to assess the habitability of Europa's environment. Europa Clipper is notable for its massive solar panels and will come closer to Europa's surface than any previous spacecraft. As one of NASA's last flagship projects of the decade, it represents a significant effort in the search for extraterrestrial life.