MILAN — A highly anticipated mission to investigate the potential for life on an icy moon of Jupiter is now underway following its launch aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket on October 14.
The Falcon Heavy rocket took flight from Launch Complex 39A at 12:06 p.m. Eastern Time. After completing two burns by the upper stage that set it on an escape trajectory from Earth, the Europa Clipper spacecraft successfully detached from the stage a little over an hour after liftoff. Shortly after separation, the spacecraft established contact with ground control, transmitting information confirming it was in good working order.
Europa Clipper represents one of NASA’s most costly scientific endeavors, with a total estimated lifecycle cost of $5.2 billion, which includes four years of operations after its anticipated arrival at Jupiter in 2030. The mission has been highly prioritized in planetary science decadal surveys, following years of proposals for similar missions focused on Europa.
The mission aims to find out whether Europa, a moon believed to contain a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, could support life. The presence of liquid water, internal energy from the moon, and organic compounds could provide the essential conditions for life.
While the spacecraft will not be searching for actual signs of life, it will assess whether the moon possesses the necessary conditions to support living organisms. “Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission but a habitability investigation,” emphasized Gina DiBraccio, acting director of NASA’s planetary science division, during an October 13 mission briefing.
Robert Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, noted the mission’s intent to understand the fundamental ingredients necessary for life in Europa’s oceans.
Equipped with nine dedicated instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and magnetometers, as well as gravity and radio science experiments, the spacecraft will conduct 49 flybys to provide comprehensive observations of Europa and its interior.
The spacecraft’s extensive instrument payload requires a large structure. At launch, it weighed 5,700 kilograms when fully fueled, and its solar arrays will extend the spacecraft to a length of 30.5 meters once deployed.
Protective shielding is also necessary to guard against radiation from Jupiter’s intense magnetic field. Initially, there were concerns about potential degradation of transistors on the spacecraft, which could have necessitated mission adjustments or replacements and caused delays. However, NASA confirmed in September that the transistors could endure the planned mission conditions.
The project’s early development faced challenges that threatened its viability due to costs. Nevertheless, former Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), a strong advocate for the mission, played a crucial role in securing funding often exceeding NASA’s requests.
Culberson had also urged NASA to use its Space Launch System for the launch, which would have enabled a shorter journey to Jupiter. However, NASA raised concerns about potential hardware compatibility issues, leading Congress to permit a commercial launch process, ultimately awarded to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy for $178 million—a fraction of the estimated cost of a single SLS launch.
Despite the capabilities of the Falcon Heavy, it could not send Europa Clipper directly to Jupiter, even with all three booster cores utilized. Instead, the spacecraft will conduct a flyby of Mars early next year and another of Earth in late 2026, aiming to reach Jupiter in April 2030.
Scientists are optimistic about the scientific rewards of this mission, with Cynthia Phillips, a project staff scientist at JPL, expressing her eagerness for new insights into Europa’s surface. “I’ve dreamed of returning to Europa since the Galileo era, so for about 25 years now,” she stated, noting her anticipation for the long wait ahead.