NASA launches first mission to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa

JUST IN: NASA has launched its first mission to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa, to determine if it harbors conditions suitable to support life.

The agency will invest approximately $5.2 billion for the entire life cycle of the mission, which spans nearly two decades.

[juslewissr]

I have been a huge space-nut my entire life (39) and I have been impatiently waiting a very long time for this. Honestly, now that it's launched, the wait for it to finally make it to Europa is going to feel longer than the wait did for it to finally be built and launched! I'm very impatiently waiting for man to return to the Moon, too, and probably waaay too excited about it.

[astronomicalreason]

Good luck Europa Clipper 👌 safe travels in all that space

[Peyton-fl]

How things have changed since I was a young girl! Now, at 72, when NASA sends a Falcon Heavy rocket to Europa, I still jump out of my seat and scream “Go baby, go.”!

[hollybarnes]

Was born in 1957. Remember watching the launches with my grandma when Jules Bergman was narrator and beyond.

[farmerjohn]

At the age of 66, I consider myself a time traveler. I've lived in the past, and now our amazing future. I just took the long way around. 😂

[stephaniea.]

As a gamer, this makes me think of Mass effect. It would pretty awesome to live in a world where humanity is able to live on other planets

[sunnerboys]

World Need This Kind Of Science Exploration Not F##kn War's

[joycegriffin]

I am so lucky to born when i was lol..born in 1967 and the new amount of technology and disaster that have occurred in my lifetime so far is truly amazing to me..not saying that the disaster..man made or nature related are good wish they never happened
But to have so much happening in my lifetime is amazing.

[Terinjim]

Whenever there's a space launch for a scientific study of planet's or other space objects out there. I get excited. My uncle got into NASA after he got his engineering degree and was on board when we sent man to the moon for the first time. After that, he was the cargo bay engineer who was responsible for the mechanical/robotic arm, as well as other mechanical equipment and instruments for the cargo bay area. He is retired now, but I remember man's first rocket launch into space when man was going to the moon. My uncle was sending me these small books for young kids to get them interested and excited about NASA, what they were involved doing as well as planning on to do. He's done very well for himself. I can't wait for man to walk on Mars and set up laboratories and astronaut lodging; that will be very exciting, and I think they will do this in the next ten-twenty years. Hopefully, I will still be alive to see it happen as well as still having my marbles. 😉

[kenbastian]

Everything that mankind can do to further our collective knowledge is worth the effort, after the cassini mission proved that a liquid ocean was beneath the ice of Europa, I think that it would be interesting to see if life could be in that environment, not to mention that it would prove that life exists outside of earth.

[ricky-believe]

Glad they made the window. I saw the video about having to delay this launch because of the hurricane. Born in the great year of 57 myself. Seen a lot of great launches and always made me feel proud to be an American.

[ianmacfarlane]

They'll never look as good as the Saturn rockets, but still looks fantastic.

[susannahsenft]

Wow would you look at that?? My goodness!! Incredible things mankind can do today!!

[Pinkcherry]

Awesome wish there were cameras to show the what looks like going space

[gypsy]

"All these planets are yours to use, use them together use them in peace, but leave Europa alone" - 2010 S.O.
Going towards a new home in the Sun.😊 Awesome!

[charlese]

I get a head rush looking at the lift off
Go baby Go!!!!

[benbohannon]

He said “ignition” correctly this time!

[SaSpursFan]

Still impressed by the 50 era engineers for their previous accomplishments with space travel without the computer aids we have now.

[naki]

They can do this rn but cannot retrieve their astronauts🤔

[ChristopherMoran-fr]

As a 154yr old Korean woman, I can definitely say I’m a time traveler, I still jump out of my seat when I that Falcon Heavy launch❤