This mission is unlike any other that NASA has ever developed, in large part because of the challenging conditions at the Jupiter system. At an average distance of 778 million kilometers (484 million miles) from the Sun, Jupiter receives relatively little sunlight.
“We had to build giant solar panels to capture the small amount of sunlight at Jupiter to power the spacecraft,” said Europa Clipper Project Manager Jordan Evans. “This is what made the Europa Clipper NASA’s largest-ever planetary spacecraft.”
Getting such a large spacecraft to such a distant destination is no easy feat. Although the Falcon Heavy rocket that launched the spacecraft used previously flown parts (including side boosters that were used to launch NASA’s Psyche mission in October 2023), none of the rocket’s parts will be recovered after Europa Clipper’s launch.
“By doing this, we maximize the lift capacity of the vehicle and ensure that all the fuel onboard is used to propel the spacecraft, enabling it to reach escape velocity,” said Armando Piloto, Senior Mission Manager for the Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center. “During the second stage burn, the spacecraft will be traveling at approximately 25,000 miles per hour, the fastest speed for a second stage ever.”
Once the spacecraft detaches from the rocket, it will still have plenty of its own propellant on board — more than 2,700 kilograms (6,000 pounds). When it reaches the Jupiter system, its 24 engines will burn 50-60% of that fuel to propel Europa Clipper into orbit around Jupiter.