[U: Launch On Monday?] Clipper Mission Is Safe -- But No New Launch Date Yet, Post The Departure Of Hurricane Milton...

UPDATED -- Late on Friday, NASA posted this: ". . .NASA. . . [is] now targeting no earlier than Monday, Oct. 14, for the launch of Europa Clipper. Following Hurricane Milton, teams are continuing to do checkouts to ensure flight readiness. . . ."

End, updated portion.

As we mentioned, the Thursday launch was scrubbed -- due to Milton.

Next launch opportunity is likely mid-next week, but certainly no earlier than this Sunday. See here, for the full NASA update:

. . .Once the winds subsided to a safe level, the center’s Ride Out Team and engineering teams began initial checkouts to ensure bridges are safe and useable. Later, a larger assessment team will thoroughly check the entire center.

The agency’s Europa Clipper launch team will schedule an official launch date when teams from NASA and SpaceX are able to perform their assessments, and confirm it’s safe to launch. Teams are working to protect launch opportunities no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 13. Clipper has launch opportunities through Wednesday, Nov. 6.

NASA will provide more information on Clipper launch opportunities as it becomes available. . . .

Now you know. C'mon, you Buff fans -- show out, tomorrow night! And. . . baby girls here -- rest of the day, Friday. Park time! Woot!

नमस्ते

Update: Hurricane Milton Explodes To Cat. 5 -- NASA Wisely Scrubs This Week's Europa Clipper Launch From Cape Canaveral...

It is oddly prophetic. . . that the name of the category five hurricane bearing down on the pan-handle (and the second -- in two weeks!) is named. . . Milton. Odd. . . indeed.

In any event, the wise course is to move far inland, and batten-down all the property that you can, before bugging out -- everywhere in central Florida. NASA is now doing the same. Here's the latest -- but it could be a few weeks before another launch date appears:

. . .NASA [is] standing down from the Thursday, Oct. 10, launch attempt of the agency’s Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area. Hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico this week moving east to the Space Coast. High winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast. Launch teams have secured NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in. . . hangar at Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the severe weather, and the center began hurricane preparations Sunday.

“The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” said Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program. . . .

While Europa Clipper’s launch period opens Oct. 10, the window provides launch opportunities until Wednesday, Nov. 6. . . .

Onward, resolutely, while Milton's own ample road -- paved with stars. . . still lies ahead. Smile. [And I've excised all references to Elon Musk's private space company above, as his odious repeated belching of deeply-racist lies -- about the current presidential electoral cycle is. . . enough to label him. . . a "deplorable". Now you know.]

नमस्ते