A NASA spacecraft is set to begin a six-year expedition to Jupiter’s moon Europa to explore this icy ocean world for indications that it might support life.

After years of preparation, the launch of the Europa Clipper was originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10, from Florida’s Space Coast. However, Hurricane Milton disrupted these plans. Though the hurricane reached the coast with Category 3 strength and resulted in at least 16 fatalities, it did not directly impact the eastern Florida area where Kennedy Space Center is located. Nevertheless, it brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region.

Prior to the hurricane’s arrival, NASA decided to postpone the Clipper launch while teams stored the spacecraft in a hangar at Launch Complex 39A before it was integrated with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. After the storm moved out into the Atlantic, teams returned to resume preparations and set a new launch date.

Here’s how to catch the Europa Clipper launch live.

Launch Timing for Europa Clipper

The Europa Clipper could launch as early as 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday after a review of launch readiness.

If there are further delays, NASA and SpaceX stated the launch window extends until November 6.

The launch will be conducted from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

After liftoff, the Clipper will embark on a 1.8 billion-mile journey to Europa, utilizing a path that swings by Mars and then Earth, leveraging the gravitational forces of these planets to accelerate its journey. Upon reaching its destination in more than five years, the Europa Clipper will engage its engines to enter orbit around Jupiter in April 2030.

Viewing the Europa Clipper Launch

NASA will provide live broadcasts of prelaunch and launch activities on its website and NASA+ starting at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Stay tuned with coverage from FLORIDA TODAY, which is part of the YSL News Network, at https://www.floridatoday.com/space/.

What is the Europa Clipper mission?

NASA has been planning for years to send the Europa Clipper spacecraft to Europa, Jupiter’s fourth largest moon.

Scientists believe that beneath Europa’s icy surface lies a vast ocean, making it one of the prime locations for exploring the potential for life beyond Earth. Research suggests that the moon’s icy crust might harbor organic materials and energy sources essential for life.

Equipped with large solar panels and radar instruments, the Clipper is poised to be the largest spacecraft NASA has ever constructed for a planetary mission. Once it arrives at Europa in 2030, it will perform critical mapping and scanning over and beneath the surface, conducting nearly 50 flybys to investigate whether Europa can indeed support life, as many scientists suspect.