Aviation Week reports, “The largest spacecraft ever launched on a planetary mission, NASA’s Europa Clipper is doing well and speeding along toward the first of two gravity assists intended to achieve a 2030 arrival at Jupiter, a NASA update says.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Europa
NASA’s Europa Clipper Has Some Stops on its Long Road to Jupiter and its Moons
SPACE reports that the NASA Europa Clipper mission is on its way to Europa, but it has some stops to make before it investigates “the potential habitability of Jupiter’s icy ocean moon Europa.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Intelsat’s IS-33e Satellite a ‘Total Loss’ After Breaking Up in Orbit
Via Satellite reports, “Intelsat confirmed on Monday the Intelsat-33e satellite is a “total loss” after a recent anomaly. Intelsat first reported a service outage on the satellite on Oct. 19. U.S. Space Forces-Space (S4S) on Saturday confirmed the satellite broke up in orbit. S4S is currently tracking 20 pieces of debris while conducting ongoing analysis and reported no immediate threats.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
NASA Launches Europa Clipper Mission to Explore Jupiter’s Moon
Ars Technica reports, “NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifted off Monday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, kicking off a $5.2 billion robotic mission to explore one of the most promising locations in the Solar System for finding extraterrestrial life. The Falcon Heavy rocket fired its 27 kerosene-fueled engines and vaulted away from Launch Complex 39A at 12:06 pm EDT (16:06 UTC) Monday. Delayed several days due to Hurricane Milton, which passed through Central Florida late last week, the launch of Europa Clipper signaled the start of a five-and-a-half year journey to Jupiter, where the spacecraft will settle into an orbit taking it repeatedly by one the giant planet’s numerous moons.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
More Info (AIAA Statement)
Video
NASA’s Europa Clipper Launch (Launch at 1:06:40 mark)
(NASA; YouTube)
NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled by Chips on Spacecraft
The New York Times reports, “NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon, which has led to concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to function as originally planned in the heavy radiation around the solar system’s largest planet.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)