Europa Clipper launch video: Nasa's largest probe to study Jupiter's moon lifts off

The spacecraft, Nasa's largest ever built for a planetary mission, will travel 2.9 billion kilometres over the course of six years, arriving at Europa in 2030.

In Short

• Europa, with its vast subsurface ocean, has long intrigued scientists
• Europa Clipper will conduct 49 close flybys of the icy moon
• A key focus of the mission is determining the thickness of Europa’s ice crust

Nasa has launched a historic mission as the Europa Clipper spacecraft begins journey to Jupiter's watery moon.

The spacecraft was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This $5 billion mission aims to explore Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, to investigate whether it could harbour conditions suitable for life.

WATCH EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION LAUNCH HERE

Europa, with its vast subsurface ocean, has long intrigued scientists. The spacecraft, Nasa’s largest ever built for a planetary mission, will travel 2.9 billion kilometers over the course of six years, arriving at Europa in 2030.

Upon arrival, Europa Clipper will conduct 49 close flybys of the icy moon.

Armed with nine sophisticated scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and radar, the spacecraft will gather crucial data on Europa's ice shell and the ocean hidden beneath.

A key focus of the mission is determining the thickness of Europa’s ice crust and investigating the possibility of water pockets within it.

In addition, the spacecraft will study the moon’s atmosphere and search for evidence of water plumes erupting from its surface, which could be critical clues in the search for life.

Europa Clipper’s design takes into account the intense radiation environment around Jupiter. To safeguard its electronics, the spacecraft is equipped with a radiation-shielded aluminium vault.

Its innovative orbit around Jupiter will allow it to make repeated passes of Europa while minimising exposure to harmful radiation.

The data collected during this mission has the potential to revolutionise our understanding of habitable worlds beyond Earth.

Scientists are eager to discover whether Europa's environment could support life, with the possibility of detecting organic materials or chemical signatures crucial to life’s existence.