Technicians prep Europa Clipper for propellant loading
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 19, 2024

NASA's Europa Clipper mission is progressing steadily towards its launch date as technicians worked on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The team is preparing the spacecraft for the propellant loading phase.

The spacecraft's mission is to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, a celestial body considered one of the most likely places in the solar system to support life. The Clipper will assess whether Europa's subsurface ocean could provide the necessary conditions for life, as it is believed to contain water, organics, and chemical energy - the basic ingredients needed for life.

Europa Clipper is set for launch on Thursday, Oct. 10, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A. The mission will span nearly six years, covering a distance of 1.8 billion miles, with the spacecraft expected to arrive in Jupiter's orbit by 2030.

The spacecraft is equipped with nine scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, a magnetometer, and ice-penetrating radar. These tools will help study Europa's ice shell, hidden ocean, and any potential water vapor plumes. Data gathered by Europa Clipper could enhance our understanding of the possibilities for life elsewhere in the solar system.

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