NASA SpaceX delay Europa Clipper mission due to hurricane Milton in US

New Delhi, Oct 7: NASA’s Europa Clipper mission that aims to search for life on Jupiter's icy moon Europa has been stalled due to hurricane Milton, expected to pose "life threatening hazards" for parts of Florida in the US, the space agency informed on Monday. Europa Clipper was set to launch its first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter's icy moon Europa aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on October 10.

Even as hurricane Milton barrels towards the already-ravaged Gulf Coast, a state of emergency has been declared in parts of Florida, delaying the mission. “NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the October 10 launch attempt of the agency’s Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area,” NASA said in a post on social media platform X.

“Once the storm passes, recovery teams will assess the safety of the spaceport and the launch processing facilities for damage before personnel return to work,” it added. While NASA has not confirmed a new launch date, the launch window is open till November 6, the US space agency said. “The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” said Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Programme, in a blog post.

On October 4, the Europa Clipper spacecraft was transported from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in the hangar as part of final launch preparations ahead of launch. Europa Clipper is slated to travel 2.6 billion kilometers to reach the Jupiter system, where it will arrive in 2030. Meanwhile, hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico this week moving east to the Space Coast. High winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast.

It had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday. It comes just 10 days after Storm Helene the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005 which tore through the southeast, killing at least 225 people, with hundreds still missing.