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The Europa Clipper spacecraft is seen in a space simulator at JPL in February, California, U.S. /NASA
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has gone through a series of hard-core tests recently at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California to prepare for its mission set for October, NASA said on Wednesday.
In less than six months, NASA is set to launch Europa Clipper on a 2.6-billion-kilometer voyage to Jupiter's ocean moon Europa.
From the wild vibrations of the rocket ride to the intense heat and cold of space to the punishing radiation of Jupiter, it will be a journey of extremes, according to NASA.
The spacecraft has survived environmental testing, undergoing a battery of trials simulating the environment it will face, including shaking, chilling, airlessness and electromagnetic fields, according to NASA.
Later this spring, the spacecraft will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams of engineers and technicians will carry out final preparations with eyes on the clock.
Europa Clipper's launch period opens on October 10, according to NASA.
After liftoff, the spacecraft will zip toward Mars, and in late February 2025, it will be close enough to use the red planet's gravitational force for added momentum. The spacecraft is set to arrive at Jupiter in 2030.
Europa Clipper's main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, that could support life, according to NASA.