NASA Picks SpaceX for First Jupiter Moon Mission in 2024

NASA announced on Friday it has selected SpaceX and the latter’s Falcon Heavy for “Earth’s first mission to conduct detailed investigations of Jupiter’s moon Europa.”

According to NASA, the Europa Clipper mission is pegged for launch in October 2024, from Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy will send NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft into orbit.

The Europa Clipper mission will investigate the icy moon to see if it has conditions to support life, with high resolution images of the moon’s surface set to be recorded.

NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center will manage the Europa Clipper launch service.

NASA has selected Falcon Heavy to fly Europa Clipper! Launching in October 2024, this interplanetary mission will study whether Jupiter's icy moon Europa could have conditions suitable for life. https://t.co/KJt7Natn7i pic.twitter.com/sfcdrcKE77

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 23, 2021

The Europa Clipper mission will see a partnership between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

What's commercial space, you ask? Commercial space is a privately developed rocket that saves the government 2 damn billion dollars.

— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) July 23, 2021

Program management of the Europa Clipper mission will be lead by The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The NASA contract will land SpaceX approximately $178 million.