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.