NASA spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter's moon Europa in search of the right conditions for life

A NASA spacecraft has blasted off on a quest to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa and reveal whether its hidden ocean might hold the keys to life. SpaceX launched the Europa Clipper on Monday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. It will take 5 1/2 years for Clipper to reach Jupiter. Once there, the spacecraft will orbit the giant gas planet, sneaking close to Europa during dozens of flybys. The $5.2 billion mission won’t search for life but rather the conditions necessary for it. Scientists are almost certain a vast, deep ocean exists beneath Europa’s icy crust.



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