Cape Canaveral, FL - NASA and SpaceX have announced that they are standing down from the scheduled October 10 launch of the agency's Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area. Hurricane Milton is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain to the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida's east coast.
Image Credit: NASA
Hurricane Preparations Underway
Launch teams have secured the Europa Clipper spacecraft in SpaceX's hangar at Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center began hurricane preparations on Sunday, taking all necessary precautions to protect the spacecraft and ensure the safety of launch team personnel.
"The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft," said Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA's Launch
Services Program.
The main body of the Europa Clipper spacecraft arrived at the clean room of JPL in early June 2022. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman)
Although the initial launch attempt has been postponed, the Europa Clipper mission's launch window remains open until November 6. This provides a flexible timeline for NASA and SpaceX to resume launch preparations once the storm passes.
After the storm, recovery teams will assess the safety of the spaceport before personnel return to work. Launch teams will then evaluate the launch processing facilities for any damage sustained during the storm.
Next Launch Opportunity
"Once we have the 'all-clear' followed by facility assessment and any recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this NASA flagship mission," said Dunn.
Europa Clipper Mission
The Europa Clipper mission aims to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa, which is believed to harbor a subsurface ocean potentially capable of supporting life. The mission will study Europa's subsurface ocean, ice shell, and surrounding environment.
Launch Details
- Original Launch Date: October 10, 2024
- Launch Window: October 10 - November 6, 2024
- Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A
- Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
- Mission Duration: 5.5 years
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