On Sunday, NASA and SpaceX postponed the launch of the Europa Clipper mission, which was due to depart from Florida on Thursday, due to the possible impact of Hurricane Milton.
The tropical cyclone, which formed this weekend in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to touch land in the middle of next week in the US state of Florida, on the west coast, and the storm is expected to cross the peninsula on an easterly trajectory, with heavy rain and winds at Cape Canaveral.
After the hurricane passes and “once everything is clear, followed by an assessment of the facilities and recovery actions, the next launch opportunity for this emblematic NASA mission will be determined,” said the US space agency's launch services program manager, Tim Dunn.
The Europa Clipper spacecraft was transferred on Friday to the hangar of launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, as part of the final preparations for the trip to the icy moon of the planet Jupiter.
According to NASA, the spacecraft is safe at the center, which began preparations on Sunday for Milton's expected arrival.
The Europa Clipper, the largest spacecraft ever built by NASA for planetary exploration, will orbit Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, and try to determine whether it can support life.
After taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft will travel 2.9 billion kilometers to reach Jupiter in 2030 and observe the moon Europa, which is believed to have conditions suitable for life - water, energy and chemistry - under the surface.
Until November 6, the US space agency is considering other possible launch dates for the four-year mission.
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