NASA Science
Europa Clipper launched at 12:06 p.m. EDT on Oct. 14, 2024, on the first mission to determine if Jupiter's icy moon Europa has conditions suitable to supporti life.
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Europa Clipper Sails Toward Ocean Moon of Jupiter
NASA’s Europa Clipper has embarked on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life. The spacecraft launched at 12:06 p.m. EDT Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Read the launch press release
NASA’s Europa Clipper Launch
NASA launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft to explore Europa, an ocean moon orbiting Jupiter. Europa Clipper’s launch is targeted for on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 at 12:06 p.m. EDT (1606 UTC). The spacecraft, the largest NASA has ever built for a planetary mission, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Meet the Spacecraft
Europa Clipper is a robotic solar-powered spacecraft built to conduct the first detailed investigations of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. With its solar arrays deployed, Europa Clipper spans more than 100 feet (about 30 meters) – about the length of a basketball court. The main body of the spacecraft consists of its avionics vault, radiofrequency module, and propulsion module.
Meet Europa Clipper
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Be Our Virtual Guest
Europa Clipper launched on Oct. 14th, 2024, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Can’t make it in person? Virtual guests will receive curated mission resources, stay informed with the latest updates, and receive a commemorative stamp for their virtual guest passport after liftoff — all delivered straight to their inbox!
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Launch Party
Get ready to experience a once-in-a-lifetime event as NASA’s Europa Clipper mission takes flight! This historic mission will explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, and you’re invited to host your very own watch party to share the excitement with friends, family, and fellow space enthusiasts. We’ve got everything you need to make your launch celebration out of this world.
Follow us on social media as we launch NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.NASA/JPL-Caltech -
Posters and Wallpapers
Download Europa Clipper posters, infographics and background wallpapers for your desktop computers or mobile devices.
Download the “Journey to an Ocean World” desktop wallpaper.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Behind the Spacecraft Video Series
Meet some of the engineers contributing to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to see if it has conditions suitable to support life. Each of the five episodes will take you behind the scenes with an engineer on the mission: Jenny Kampmeier, Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, Valeria Salazar, Dipak Srinavasan, and Andres Rivera. Their roles range from navigating to communicating with the spacecraft. Learn how these engineers came to join the mission and how they hope to inspire future generations.
Meet the Team
Spacecraft Makers
Spacecraft Makers is a video series that takes you behind the scenes to learn more about how space missions, like Europa Clipper, come together.
Spacecraft Makers: Introducing Europa Clipper
Spacecraft Makers: Testing Europa Clipper’s Magnetometer
Spacecraft Makers: Sewing Blankets for NASA’s Europa Clipper
Spacecraft Makers: Europa Clipper’s Instrument Integration
Spacecraft Makers: Simulating Space to Test Europa Clipper
