Posted on 10/15/2024 2:53:17 PM PDT by DFG
It’s not every day that humans launch a space mission of such potential as it was done on Monday in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket was launched on a quest to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys to life.
The mission will take the spacecraft Europa Clipper five and a half years to reach Jupiter, orbit around the Solar system’s largest planet and sneak close to its fourth largest moon, Europa.
Associated Press reported:
“Scientists are almost certain a deep, global ocean exists beneath Europa’s icy crust. And where there is water, there could be life, making the moon one of the most promising places out there to hunt for it.
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.”
The Clipper will undertake a 1.8 billion-mile journey, but it only took an hour for it to be separated from the upper stage of the rocket, float off and message mission control.
“’The science on this is really captivating’, NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free told The Associated Press back at the launch site. Scientists are still learning about the depths of our own ocean, ‘and here we are looking that far out’.”
The mission preparation had to deal with the effect of radiation on its by transistors, that turned out to be more vulnerable to Jupiter’s radiation field than anticipated.
After months reviewing everything, it was concluded in September that the mission could proceed as planned.
(Excerpt) Read more at thegatewaypundit.com ...
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...
LOL. My first (OK second) thought...
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!
Its going to take more than a weak little robot to do that. There certainly isnt going to be life on the surface.
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.
However... There may be geysers on Europa, so it seems the chance is decent that material (including small organisms if present in the ocean) could get erupted onto the surface. Obviously they would die quickly, but how long would the remains, or traces of them, remain?
If they aimed it at DC and put a lie detector on it, it would melt down and blow its power supply.
There is no issue. Putins nukes don’t work. LOL! What doink? All the Zeepers say so.
There is no issue. Putins nukes don’t work. LOL! What doink? All the Zeepers say so.
That space craft could make almost 2 complete round trips between the moon and earth every day.
i understand that....but what is the point of this mission then?
See, That there is SMART thinking.
BUT that deletes the next step of a gazillion dollar make work program from congress.
It would take years and a gazillion dollars to reformulate the next mission..
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