NASA tap SpaceX to launch new alien hunting mission on mystery moon

NASA has saved an estimated $1.5 billion in launch/storage costs by choosing SpaceX to launch its new alien-hunting mission.

@JakConnorTT

Published Jul 27, 2021 3:03 AM CDT
Updated Aug 25, 2021 6:45 PM CDT

46 seconds read time

NASA has announced that it will be choosing SpaceX to launch its new alien-hunting mission to a distant moon.

NASA tap SpaceX to launch new alien hunting mission on mystery moon 01

NASA has announced that it awarded SpaceX with a $178 million launch contract for its Europa Clipper satellite mission. The mission will send the Clipper satellite to Jupiter's ice-covered moon named Europa in search of alien life. NASA plans on flying past the distant moon 45 timers, and with each pass, the satellite will observe the moon and relay any data back to Earth.

Originally, NASA planned on using Boeing's Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle for the mission. However, due to scheduling problems, NASA has selected SpaceX to power the mission, and by choosing SpaceX, the space agency will save as much as $1.5 billion in total. SpaceX will be using its Falcon Heavy to launch Europa Clipper in 2024, and it will take six whole years for the satellite to reach the moon. If you are interested in reading more about this story, check out this link here.

NEWS SOURCE:wccftech.com

Jak Connor

Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms. Instead of typical FPS, Jak holds a very special spot in his heart for RTS games.