NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter: live updates

Spacecraft separation! Europa Clipper flies on its own

The Europa Clipper spacecraft has successfully separated from the upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy spacecraft, and NASA’s flight control team is waiting for a signal from the spacecraft.

NASA says the spacecraft is currently warming up two onboard radios to communicate with home.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy second stage fire engine

The second stage of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket fired its engine for a final burn to send the Europa Clipper on its final course toward Jupiter.

The burn lasted just over three minutes, the last major milestone before the spacecraft separated.

“Nominal orbital insertion,” SpaceX reports.

Europa Clipper is healthy in orbit

SpaceX and NASA are receiving good telemetry from the Falcon Heavy and Europa Clipper rocket as they continue to fly into orbit, with everything continuing as planned after today’s successful launch.

Europa Clipper has passed the midway point of its coast phase before going live today at 1:08 PM EST (1708 GMT).

Europa Clipper reaches parking orbit

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has successfully reached parking orbit with NASA’s Europe Clipper spacecraft after a smooth launch into space.

The Falcon Heavy’s second stage will move for about 40 minutes, at which time it will fire its engine again for about 3 minutes to send the Europa Clipper on an extraterrestrial trajectory.

The spacecraft is scheduled to deploy one hour and two minutes after liftoff, at approximately 1:08 p.m. EDT (1708 GMT).

Separation stage from Falcon Heavy

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy spacecraft’s dual side boosters separated from the core stage, with the first stage following shortly after.

SpaceX is not reusing boosters for this flight. The two side boosters were previously used to launch NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission.

The Falcon Heavy’s shell-like payload covers were also detached as planned. SpaceX will attempt to recover those parts after launch.

Europa Clipper is now exposed to space for the first time.

Europa Clipper lifting process

Take off! NASA’s Europa Clipper launches towards Jupiter aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket!

SpaceX monitors the temperature on Falcon Heavy

SpaceX’s powerful Falcon Heavy launch support device has been pulled today for launch with just minutes remaining for launch at 12:06 PM ET (1606 GMT).

SpaceX is monitoring temperatures in the Falcon Heavy’s second stage. NASA and SpaceX are preparing for launch, waiting for temperature concerns to be resolved.

Europe Clipper on internal energy

SpaceX and NASA are now less than 10 minutes away from the planned launch of the Europe Clipper on a Falcon Heavy rocket at 12:06 PM EDT (1606 GMT).

Europa Clipper is now on internal launch power, SpaceX reports.

SpaceX is using all of the fuel on the Falcon Heavy currently for launch. There will be no attempt to land the first stage boosters, since their maximum performance will be necessary to send Europa Clipper on its path to Jupiter.

Hair flies to Jupiter aboard Europa Clipper

NASA’s Europa Clipper is not only transporting scientific experiments and instruments to Jupiter with today’s launch.

Also on board are millions of names of people who have registered to be added to the flight ticket, as well as an “Ode to Europe” written by American poet laureate Ada Lemon. She says the poem is for everyone.

“You know, I truly hope that as we begin this incredible journey together, we will remember the wonders that are all around us,” Lemon said.

SpaceX loads liquid oxygen onto Falcon Heavy

SpaceX is now loading liquid oxygen into the upper stage for a launch of Falcon Heavy’s Europe Clipper rocket. The refueling process will continue until the last minutes before launch. The launch remains on track for a launch at 12:06 PM ET.

The start of fueling the Falcon Heavy aircraft in the second phase

SpaceX has begun fueling the upper stage of its Falcon Heavy rocket with RP-1 propellant for today’s Europe Clipper launch.

All systems remain in a “standby” state for the launch scheduled today at 12:06 PM EST (1606 GMT).

SpaceX is supplying the Falcon Heavy to launch the Europe Clipper rocket

SpaceX has begun supplying the Falcon Heavy rocket’s first core stage and side boosters with the RP-1 propellant (kerosene used in rockets) and liquid oxygen needed for today’s launch.

With the liquid oxygen loading underway, if SpaceX had to delay the launch today for any reason, the next opportunity would now be 48 hours later on Wednesday due to the time needed to collect more liquid oxygen, NASA says. NASA and SpaceX have until November 6 to launch Europa Clipper to Jupiter.

SpaceX ‘GO’ to fuel Europa Clipper launch

NASA Launch Director Tim Dunne surveyed NASA and SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch teams for today’s Europa Clipper launch to ensure the rocket is ready to refuel. All systems seem to have disappeared.

“We have beautiful weather, a beautiful spacecraft and a great rocket,” Dunn said as the reconnaissance began while checking in with flight controllers, who were all “ready” for the launch. “NASA Europa Clipper Team Goes to Load Propellant and Heads for Launch.”

Today’s Europe Clipper launch is on track for 12:06 PM EST (1606 GMT). NASA said there was a 95% chance the weather would improve at launch.

NASA Europa Clipper live stream

NASA’s Europe Clipper launch is live streaming as SpaceX and NASA approach the T-1 mark for their planned launch today at 12:06 PM EDT (1606 GMT).

You can watch the launch live from the window above and on Space.com, but you can also watch it live from NASA and its YouTube page.

“We think Europa has been simmering for the last 4 billion years, so it’s a great place to look to see if it’s habitable,” Jenny Kampmeier, science systems engineer for NASA’s Europa Clipper, said as the webcast began.

Launch day for Europe Clipper

It’s launch day for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft!

The $5 billion probe is on track to blast off toward Jupiter today. October 14, 12:06 PM EDT (1606 GMT) From NASA Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, with its triple booster first stage, provides the flight.

You’ll be able to watch the Europe Clipper launch live online starting at 11 a.m. EST (1500 GMT)But if you can’t wait that long to get your European appliance repaired, we’ve got you covered.

From “2010: The Year We Make Contact” to “Europa Report,” don’t miss our list of 4 must-see Jupiter movies in preparation for Jeff Spry’s “Europa Clipper.” You may disagree with some of the selections, but I can assure you that they are all fun rides on the movies (especially “Europe Report”, that movie is great!).

Europe Clipper “GO” for launch

NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft toward Jupiter’s moon Europa on Monday, October 14, 2024, after days of delays caused by the impacts of Hurricane Milton at the launch site in Florida.

Europa Clipper, a groundbreaking $5 billion mission to Jupiter’s icy moon, is currently scheduled to lift off at 12:06 p.m. EDT (1606 GMT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a small launch window of 15 seconds. Space Force officials said there was a 95 percent chance of good weather at launch. Read our full guide on when and how to watch the Europe Clipper launch.

NASA originally hoped to launch Europa Clipper on October 10, but they and SpaceX — which will launch the probe on a Falcon Heavy rocket — decided to postpone the launch last week as Hurricane Milton approached. On Saturday (October 12), the space center reopened for business, and the Falcon Heavy spacecraft carrying the probe returned to the launch pad by Sunday.

Europa Clipper is designed to reach the Jupiter system in April 2030 and spend four years conducting flybys of Europa, one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for life beyond Earth. Europe’s dominant feature is its vast salty ocean beneath a thick ice crust, which occasionally seeps through huge columns of water.

NASA scientists will use Europa Clipper’s instruments to better understand Europa’s habitability.

In this space, we’ll include the latest launch and mission updates for Europa Clipper during its long journey to Jupiter. Check back on October 14 for live coverage of the launch!