Well folks, it’s finally time to launch Europa Clipper!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-10-14 16:06 |
|---|---|
| Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-14 12:06 (EDT) |
| Launch site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. |
| Launch vehicle | Falcon Heavy |
| Center | 1090-1 (expendable) |
| Booster | 1064-6 (expendable) |
| Booster | 1065-6 (expendable) |
| Customer | NASA |
| Payload | Europa Clipper |
| Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of payload into Heliocentric Orbit |
Side boosters previously supported the following missions: USSF-44, USSF-67, Jupiter 3, Psyche, USSF-52.
Livestreams
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQToTWKwtuw |
| Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n8vgZ2qSl0 |
| Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZjszhRVo9s |
| NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JUn8LmGYEA |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHBlz2VtS30 |
| Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAixoyE78rE |
| SpaceX | |
| The Space Devs |
Stats
Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:
☑️ 2nd Falcon Heavy launch this year, 11th overall
☑️ 18th launch from LC-39A this year
☑️ 34 days, 6:42:11 turnaround for this pad
☑️ 96th SpaceX launch this year, 396th overall (excluding Starship tests)
☑️ 99th SpaceX launch this year, 411th overall (including Starship tests)
☑️ 27th consecutive successful Falcon 9 / Heavy launch (if successful)
Payload info: Europa Clipper
NextSpaceflight:
Europa Clipper will conduct a detailed survey of Europa and use a sophisticated suite of science instruments to investigate whether the icy moon has conditions suitable for life. Key mission objectives are to produce high-resolution images of Europa’s surface, determine its composition, look for signs of recent or ongoing geological activity, measure the thickness of the moon’s icy shell, search for subsurface lakes, and determine the depth and salinity of Europa’s ocean.
Resources and articles:
- NASA mission timeline
- SpaceX mission page
- Next Spaceflight mission page
- Ars Technica article
- SpaceNews article
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team.
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Acquisition of signal from Europa Clipper confirmed!
Next up, Mars gravity assist in 2025 February, Earth gravity assist in 2026 December, and Jupiter orbit insertion in 2030 April.
Did not enjoy the wait for AOS!
May Clipper have a boring journey.
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845573173586346482
Falcon Heavy is vertical at pad 39A in Florida ahead of tomorrow’s launch of @NASA’s Europa Clipper
Embedded videos:
https://x.com/SpaceOffshore/status/1845185100398374960
SpaceX’s fairing recovery ship, GO Cosmos, is an incredible 2070 km (1287 miles) downrange from the launch pad to recover the fairing halves for the Europa Clipper mission.
Image
https://x.com/SpaceOffshore/status/1845185490594447471
(This is a downrange distance record for fairing recovery by ~110 km) The previous record was ViaSat-3.1 at 1955 km.
Mission Control Audio: “NY booster LOX load complete.”
Mission Control Audio: “PY booster LOX load complete.”
Strongback retract has started.
Propellant load is underway: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845848177037152359
Liftoff!
M-vac engine cutoff. Nominal orbit insertion.
Spacecraft separation scheduled for T+1:02:12.
Stage 2 temperature anomaly has been resolved, they are go for launch.
Falcon Heavy is in Startup.
Mission Control Audio: “M-vac is chilling.”
Europa Clipper separation confirmed!
Now waiting for acquisition of signal.
Mission Control Audio: “Stage 2 FTS has safed.”
Mission Control Audio: “Stage 2 is in terminal guidance.”
Mission Control Audio: “Center core RP-1 load complete.”
Edit: PY and NY RP-1 load also complete.
MECO, stage separation, M-vac ignition, and fairing separation.
Mission Control Audio: NY, PY FTS has safed.
Mission Control Audio: “Center core LOX load complete.”
Teams are monitoring a temperature anomaly on Stage 2, but they are otherwise go for launch.
Mission Control Audio: “Stage 2 LOX load complete.”
Mission Control Audio: Center core FTS has safed.
