NASA Begins Live Broadcast of Europa Clipper Mission

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket stands at Launch Pad 39A on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of launch to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. The spacecraft will complete nearly 50 flybys of Europa to determine if there are conditions suitable for life beyond Earth. Photo credit: SpaceX

NASA just ramped up its coverage of today's Europa Clipper launch, as the live broadcast with commentary has now begun, and you can watch coverage on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. Watch NASA launch coverage in Spanish on NASA+ and NASA's Spanish YouTube channel.

The three main science objectives of NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon Europa are to determine the thickness of the moon's icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission's detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. This multidisciplinary field investigates the extremes of life on Earth to inform its search for life in the universe. It encompasses characterizing habitable environments in preparation to search for life.

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will perform nearly 50 close flybys of Jupiter's moon Europa, gathering detailed measurements to investigate the moon. The spacecraft, in orbit around Jupiter, will make approach altitudes as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surface, soaring over a different location during each flyby to scan nearly the entire moon.

You can also follow along on the launch blog, which originates from the NASA News Center here at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a few miles from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. There's more to come, so stay with us.

Join the conversation, follow the launch, and get Europa Clipper mission updates from these accounts:

X:@EuropaClipper, @NASA, @NASAJPL, @NASA_LSP, @NASASolarSystem, @NASASCaN, @NASAKennedy
Facebook: NASAEuropaClipper, NASA, NASAJPL, NASA LSP, NASASolarSystem, NASASCaN
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAJPL, @nasasolarsystem

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