NASA spacecraft to study Jupiter moon’s underground ocean cleared for October launch

AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has given the go-ahead to next month’s launch to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Monday’s decision came after after reviewing the spacecraft’s ability to withstand the intense radiation there. Questions about the reliability of the transistors on the Europa Clipper spacecraft arose earlier this year after similar problems cropped up elsewhere. Liftoff remains scheduled for Oct. 10 from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It will take six years for Europa Clipper to reach Jupiter. Europa Clipper is the biggest spacecraft ever built by NASA to investigate another planet.