NASA's Europa Clipper Launch

NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft to explore Europa, an ocean moon orbiting Jupiter.

Europa Clipper’s launch is targeted for no earlier than 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.

Europa is one of the most promising places in our solar system to find an environment suitable for life beyond Earth. Evidence suggests that the ocean beneath Europa’s icy surface could contain the ingredients for life — water, the right chemistry, and energy. While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will answer key questions about the moon’s potential habitability.

For more information about Europa and the Europa Clipper mission,