NASA and SpaceX postpone Europa Clipper launch due to Hurricane Milton

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on October 7 that it would postpone the Europa Clipper mission to guard against the impact of Hurricane Milton.

Europa Clipper spacecraft. (Illustration photo).

The Europa Clipper spacecraft was originally scheduled to launch on October 10 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, meteorologists predict that Hurricane Milton will move east from the Gulf of Mexico, affecting the Space Coast. The Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island areas on Florida's east coast could see strong winds and heavy rain.

In response to the severe weather, NASA and its space exploration partner SpaceX have moved the Europa Clipper spacecraft to SpaceX's hangar at Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center for protection. The center has also begun preparations for Hurricane Milton since October 6.

NASA will decide on the launch date of Europa Clipper again, between now and November 6.

The primary goal of the Europa Clipper mission is to determine whether there is anything beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa that could support life. The spacecraft is expected to make multiple flybys of Europa, collecting detailed data to investigate the moon and determine whether conditions suitable for life exist.