NASA Launch Manager Gives ‘Go’ for Launch

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket prepares for launch at Launch Pad 39A on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of launch to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa.

NASA Launch Manager Tim Dunn has just given NASA's Europa Clipper mission a "go" for launch! Mission and launch managers are counting down to the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This will be NASA's second interplanetary mission for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, following launch of NASA's Psyche mission exactly a year ago yesterday. Europa Clipper is reusing the side boosters from NASA's Psyche mission for this launch.

Because Europa Clipper needs a lot of energy to start it on its interplanetary trajectory to Jupiter, the rocket for this launch will be fully expendable, with the exception of a recoverable fairing. This means that there will be no return of first-stage boosters for this launch. Although SpaceX has flown a fully expendable Falcon Heavy before, this is the first time that NASA's Launch Services Program is launching a mission for the agency with this Falcon Heavy configuration, though the program has extensive experience now with both expendable as well as reusable rockets. In addition to not recovering any boosters, technicians removed components only needed for reuse to increase the performance of the rocket, to launch the largest planetary spacecraft NASA has ever developed and give it the power it needs to travel to Jupiter.

Launch is in less two minutes!

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