SpaceX awarded with Europa Clipper mission’s launch service contract

SpaceX recently completed its tests on a Heavy rocket booster. NASA has awarded the space exploration company a launch service contract valued at $178 million. Under the contract, the SpaceX will deliver Europa Clipper mission using Europa Clipper mission by October 2024.

The space exploration company on its rocket has transported many cargo payloads and astronauts to the ISS on its rocket system and reusable spacecraft Dragon capsules. Few months earlier, the SpaceX was awarded a contract of Artemis Lunar mission worth $2.9 billion. However, few months later the contract was suspended as the rival bidders Dynetics and Blue Origin objected NASA for selecting for the contract.

The Europa Clipper mission will perform in-depth study of Eruopa which is the smallest Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter’s. Europa Clipper mission on board scientific instruments will investigate if the moon’s icy surface is capable of sustaining life on the planet. The mission will gather detailed images, discover geological activities, measure the thickness of the icy shell, see if there are any sub-surface lakes, and calculate the salinity and depth of Europa’s ocean.

Europa Clipper Mission will kick off on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The Europa Clipper aircraft is worth $4.25 billion will collect the requisite data. NASA field center Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing this mission. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is JPL’s partner in developing the mission. NASA did not give any information of other bidder for the contract apart from SpaceX.