FH vs SLS saved NASA $3B. $2B for the launch cost and $1B for the redesign to survive SLS's excess vibration from solid boosters. Downside is 2.5 years longer journey IF SLS is available today.
Oct 14, 2024Highlights from the Oct. 14, 2024, launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will travel 1.8 billion miles to study Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa. The spacecraft lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT (9:06 a.m. PDT).Europa Clipper is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying Europa, which likely has a salty ocean beneath its icy surface. The spacecraft is equipped with nine science instruments and a gravity experiment. The mission’s main goal is to determine whether Europa has the right conditions to support life. Europa Clipper will arrive at Jupiter in 2030 and make 49 flybys of Europa during its prime mission, which concludes in 2034. For more information on the mission go to: https://europa.nasa.gov/Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Interesting that the Administrator was not in attendance...
One of our most important launches ever. Super glad it went well.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the launch coverage today, especially FutureSpaceTourist.
Falcon Heavy launches @EuropaClipper, in full-color.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JFTvUed1DqI
Oct 16, 2024Europa Clipper is on the way to Jupiter after an old-school, fully-expendable Falcon Heavy launch. NASA used all that performance to send the spacecraft out to Mars for the first of two gravity assists that will get it to Jupiter and its multi-flyby mission of the moon Europa.Falcon Heavy was Europa Clipper's second marriage; originally Congress put the spacecraft together with SLS eight years ago. This video goes into the reasons why that marriage didn't work well for Europa Clipper or SLS and why seemingly no one objected to the divorce before or after it quietly became official in late 2020."On paper," SLS has enough performance to throw Europa Clipper directly from Earth to Jupiter and in about three years, but few seemed enthusiastic about it during that time between the end of 2015 and then end of 2020. Artemis, Exploration Ground Systems, and SLS did end up getting a second Mobile Launcher out of it, and we'll go into how Europa Clipper somehow helped make that happen.Imagery is courtesy of NASA, except where noted.00:00 Intro, Europa Clipper on its way to Jupiter for dozens of Europa flybys01:02 Ironically, there was an SLS waiting for a launch in Florida this year01:45 Multiple issues with flying Europa Clipper on SLS, but enthusiasm seemed lukewarm before that04:55 Former representative John Culberson is the reason Europa Clipper is flying today05:50 At one time, there was a chance that Europa Clipper would fly on the second SLS07:35 How Mobile Launcher-2 kept Europa Clipper's launch date from slipping in 201812:13 Europa Clipper on SLS was a low priority, behind Artemis III, behind EUS13:30 Recent Aviation Week Q&A with Mr. Culberson14:03 SLS compatibility fixes were possible, but not easy, not cheap, and not fast16:09 Thanks for watching!
Anyone have information on the fairing recovery from this flight? It would be interesting to know how they made out compared to other fairing sets.
