NASA, SpaceX Postpone Europe Clipper Launch Ahead of Hurricane Milton

The Europa Clipper mission was initially scheduled for launch on Oct. 10.

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 4:50 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Tropical Storm Milton, center, off the coast of Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. NOAA via AP

NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of the Europa Clipper mission due to Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall in Florida this week, the space agency stated on Oct. 6.

The Europa Clipper was initially scheduled for launch on Oct. 10 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to investigate potential signs of life on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.