NASA's Europa Clipper mission objective is to find sources of life on a distant moon within our solar system, and SpaceX will be the one to launch it.
On Friday, NASA announced that it has confirmed the launch date for its upcoming Europa Clipper mission and that SpaceX has been awarded the $178 million launch contract. NASA's objective is to fly past a Jupiter moon named Europa 45 times, and with each pass, observe it for any signs of alien life. NASA will get as far down as 16 miles from the moon's surface as NASA researchers believe that the moon could have a global ocean that may host alien life.
NASA has awarded SpaceX a $178 million launch contract, and in October 2024, Europa Clipper will be carried off Earth aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket. NASA plans to capture high-resolution images of the surface of the moon in hopes of being able to figure out the composition of its thick icy crust. Europa Clipper's objective is to gather data on the oceans so researchers can find out how salty it is and its depth. If you are interested in reading more about this story, check out this link here.