Um, did they include a camera? Life detection for large things wouldn’t be that hard with a simple camera.
But I’m not a rocket scientist...
Why didn’t this 10 year multi-gazzilion dollar mission ALSO include instruments to PROVE life exists on Europa?
NASA always does this to justify the NEXT Gazillion dollar mission...
I hope that the rocket can find its own way. Because in 5 years there might not be anyone here to tell it what to do.
Would we ever know anything about Europa if they wanted to launch from Vandenburg since the California Coastal Commission Karens and beta males don’t like Elon’s tweets?
"Europa Clipper won’t look for life; it has no life detectors. Instead, the spacecraft will zero in on the ingredients necessary to sustain life, searching for organic compounds and other clues as it peers beneath the ice for suitable conditions....There's essentially no chance of the Europa Clipper finding life on Europa... unless the Europans start firing missiles at the spacecraft through 15 miles of ice.
"The spacecraft will fly as low as 16 miles above Europa when its radar will try to see through the moon’s ice sheet, believed to be 10 to 15 miles thick."
The "search for life" is just the spiel used to loosen the bushels of funding from the bureaucrats.
Beat me to it!
Saw that go up on my way over towards Ft. Pierce; cool as heck! Beautiful, clean burn all the way up. Never thought I’d get to see something like that.
If they aimed it at DC and put a lie detector on it, it would melt down and blow its power supply.
That space craft could make almost 2 complete round trips between the moon and earth every day.