Hurricane Milton, Because Of Course, Delays NASA's Europa Clipper Mission

Oh, Florida—will you ever catch a break? In an oh-so-2024 twist, yet another hurricane is putting a damper on NASA's plans. This time, it's the Europa Clipper mission that's getting the meteorological middle finger.

So, what's the tea? The uncrewed Europa Clipper was all set to hitch a ride on a SpaceX rocket this Thursday, embarking on a six-year voyage to Jupiter's icy moon Europa. You know, the one with the vast ocean underneath its frosty exterior that has scientists all hot and bothered about potential alien life.

But nooo, Hurricane Milton had to come along and ruin the space party. This Category 4 diva is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to Florida's east coast, right where the Kennedy Space Center is located.

NASA and SpaceX, clearly not in the mood for Milton's antics, decided to delay the launch and secure the spacecraft in a hangar at Launch Complex 39A. NASA said so themselves. I mean, it's not like they haven't dealt with this before—Hurricane Helene already caused multiple delays for the Crew-9 mission.

"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. Because, you know, safety first.

Hurricane Milton: The Uninvited Party Guest

Launch teams had prepared the Europa Clipper spacecraft on Friday to hook up with the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. But alas, Milton had other plans. As of early Monday, this storm strengthened to a Category 4, with sustained winds of 150 mph. Yikes.

Even if Milton decides to chill out a bit before hitting the coast, it’s "still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida," according to hurricane center specialist Jack Beven. Thanks for the optimism, Jack.

The Europa Clipper Mission: The Celestial Body We Deserve

NASA has been planning to send the Europa Clipper to Jupiter’s fourth largest moon for years. Why? Because Europa is hiding a massive ocean under its icy surface, and scientists are dying to know if it can support life.

With its giant solar arrays and radar antennas, the Clipper is NASA's biggest spacecraft for a planetary mission. By 2030, it will start mapping and scanning Europa during nearly 50 flybys to see if the moon is indeed habitable. Exciting stuff, right?

NASA to Determine New Clipper Launch Date... Eventually

NASA hasn't announced a new launch date yet, but the window is open until Nov. 6. Once Milton is done wreaking havoc, teams will check the spaceport and facilities for storm damage.

“Once we have the ‘all-clear’ followed by facility assessment and any recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this NASA flagship mission,” Dunn said.

Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com