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A white rocket lifts off from the launch pad, spewing billowing clouds of white vapor horizontally along the ground. A relatively short column of flames erupts from below the rocket just after liftoff. The early afternoon sky and the water in the foreground are similar, vibrant shades of blue.

Europa Clipper Begins Journey to Jupiter’s Icy Moon

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. After launch, the spacecraft plans to fly by Mars in February 2025, then back by Earth in December 2026, using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum. With help of these “gravity assists,” Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030.

Image Credit: SpaceX

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