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NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's icy moon. The launch was initially slated to take place on Thursday, and SpaceX encapsulated the spacecraft inside the Falcon Heavy rocket's payload fairing yesterday. The mission is a rare deep space launch for SpaceX, and it is the second launch of the Falcon Heavy in 2024 after the previous mission in June, which launched a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) weather satellite to geostationary orbit.
SpaceX Stands Down From Europa Clipper & Falcon Heavy Launch As Hurricanes Threaten Space Coast
The launch later this week would be one of the few after a Falcon 9 second stage anomaly at September end that forced SpaceX to ground its rocket. While working with SpaceX, the FAA confirmed over the weekend that while it did not clear the Falcon 9 to fly, the agency would allow SpaceX to launch the European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera spacecraft today.
As per the FAA, SpaceX was permitted to launch Hera since the Falcon 9 second stage would not reenter the Earth and therefore pose a minimal risk to public safety. SpaceX will also expend the Falcon 9 first stage booster for the Hera mission.
For the Europa Clipper mission, NASA and SpaceX still need to set a new launch date. October 10th was the first available launch window for Clipper, but according to NASA, additional windows are available for nearly a month starting Thursday. According to the space agency, these launch windows stretch out until November 6th.
According to NASA, hurricane Milton is currently near the Gulf of Mexico and is slated to move to the Space Coast later this week. The readiness review for the Clipper launch was conducted last week, following which teams gave the go ahead for launch on Thursday. Clipper is an observation satellite that will study Jupiter's icy moon from orbit to determine whether regions below Europa's surface can support life. During its mission, Clipper will reach as close as 16 kilometers above the surface as it maps the entire moon by scanning a different location on every orbit.
On Wednesday, teams encapsulated Clipper into the Falcon Heavy's payload fairing, and the satellite was shipped to SpaceX's hangar at the Kennedy Space Center. This is the final pre launch preparation, during which SpaceX mates the ship to the Falcon Heavy before raising the rocket vertically and preparing for launch.
Right now, Clipper and the Falcon Heavy are secure inside SpaceX's hangar. In its release, NASA added that once the storm clears, teams will assess the facilities for damage and safety before giving the go ahead for launch. NASA has spent years preparing for the Clipper launch, and as part of the launch trajectory, the spacecraft will fly past Mars in February 2025 before returning to Earth in December 2026 before making its way to Jupiter and arriving in 2026.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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