Current:Home > FinanceNASA, SpaceX delay launch to study Jupiter’s moon Europa as Hurricane Milton approaches -文件: temp/data/webname/news/nam2.txt
NASA, SpaceX delay launch to study Jupiter’s moon Europa as Hurricane Milton approaches
View
Date:2025-04-18 15:24:55
- Because Europa conceals a vast ocean beneath its icy surface, scientists believe the celestial body presents one of the best opportunities to understand how life could exist beyond Earth.
- However, Milton, which had strengthened Monday to a Category 4 storm, is putting a pause on the planned Thursday launch.
A brewing hurricane is forcing NASA to once again scrub a rocket launch, this time for its highly anticipated Europa Clipper mission.
The uncrewed orbiter had been on track to takeoff Thursday on a SpaceX rocket in Florida, beginning its six-year cosmic journey to the Jupiter moon Europa to search for signs of life-supporting conditions.
But that was before Hurricane Milton began roaring toward the state's already battered western coast. The life-threatening storm is also expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to Florida's east coast, where the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center is located.
Ahead of landfall, NASA and SpaceX made the call to delay the Clipper launch as teams secured the spacecraft in a hangar at Launch Complex 39A, NASA said. The move comes just little more than a week after Hurricane Helene forced multiple delays of the Crew-9 mission, which sent a pair of astronauts to the International Space Station on a vehicle that will eventually bring the Boeing Starliner crew back to Earth.
“The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program, said in a statement.
Hurricane Milton forces NASA to delay Clipper launch
Launch teams had prepared NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft on Friday to be integrated with the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket amid final launch preparations ahead of its mission to Jupiter’s icy moon.
The rocket was set to be rolled to the launch pad and raised to a vertical position ahead of its launch window opening Thursday before NASA delayed the mission Sunday due to Milton.
As of early Monday, Milton had strengthened from a major Category 3 to a Category 4 storm, driving sustained winds of 150 mph as it rolled across the Gulf of Mexico.
While it may weaken before the hurricane reaches the coast, Milton "is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida," hurricane center specialist Jack Beven wrote in an advisory.
What is the Europa Clipper mission?
NASA has been planning for years to send the Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's fourth largest moon of the same name.
Because Europa conceals a vast ocean beneath its icy surface, scientists believe the celestial body presents one of the best opportunities to understand how life could exist beyond Earth. Scientists have long theorized that the icy crust above the ocean conceals evidence of organic compounds and energy sources that could potentially allow lifeforms to thrive.
With its massive solar arrays and radar antennas, the Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. When the uncrewed orbiter reaches the moon by 2030, it will begin the historic task of mapping and scanning above and beneath Europa's surface during nearly 50 flybys to determine whether the celestial body is indeed habitable, as scientists have long suspected.
NASA to determine new Clipper launch date
NASA officials have not yet announced a new target launch date for the Europa Clipper, though the space agency indicated that the window is open until Nov. 6.
Once Milton passes, teams plan to ensure the spaceport is safe for launch crews to return and continue preparations. The facilities at the Kennedy Space Center will also be assessed for storm damage, NASA said.
“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,” Dunn said.
Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
veryGood! (35)
Related
- IOC's decision to separate speed climbing from other disciplines paying off
- Presidential centers issue joint statement calling out the fragile state of US democracy
- AI used to alter imagery or sounds in political ads will require prominent disclosure on Google
- Danny Masterson Sentenced to 30 Years to Life in Prison in Rape Case
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Fiji is deporting leaders of a South Korean sect that built a business empire in the island country
- Russian officials say 5 drones were shot down, including 1 that targeted Moscow
- Messi, Argentina to play Ecuador in 2026 World Cup qualifying: Time, how to watch online
- Man charged with murder in death of beloved Detroit-area neurosurgeon
- Suspect wanted in 2019 Mexico ambush that killed 3 American mothers and 6 children is arrested in U.S.
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Dog food recall: Victor Super Premium bags recalled for potential salmonella contamination
- Lawyer for Influencer Ruby Franke's Husband Denies Involvement in Alleged Child Abuse Case
- Slave descendants on Georgia island face losing protections that helped them keep their land
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
- Freddie Mercury's piano and scribbled Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics sell for millions at auction
- Prosecutors charge Wisconsin man of assaulting officer during Jan. 6 attack at US Capitol
- Oregon man sentenced to death for 1988 murder is free after conviction reversed: A lot of years for something I didn't do
Recommendation
The 'Rebel Ridge' trailer is here: Get an exclusive first look at Netflix movie
Philanthropies pledge $500 million to address 'crisis in local news'
Fugitive killer used previous escapee's 'crab walking' breakout method: Warden
Peloton instantly kills man by severing artery, lawsuit claims
Olympic women's basketball bracket: Schedule, results, Team USA's path to gold
A whale of a discovery: Alabama teen, teacher discover 34-million-year-old whale skull
Emily Ratajkowski Shares Advice on Divorcing Before 30 Amid Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas Breakup
Naomi Osaka says she's returning to pro tennis in 2024