NASA's biggest-ever spacecraft Europa Clipper is a step closer to its launch later this year. The teams at the Kennedy Space Center have installed the probe's massive 'high-gain antenna' which will enable its communication from millions of kilometres in space.

"Dishing" out the latest data 🛰️

Technicians recently installed @EuropaClipper's nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide high-gain antenna here at Kennedy. Scheduled to launch later this year, Clipper will study the habitability of Jupiter's moon Europa.

More: https://t.co/sfng63pBJO pic.twitter.com/snWC6fo4mY — NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) July 3, 2024

In October 2024, the spacecraft will travel 2.6-billion-kilometres to Jupiter's moon Europa. After almost six-year-long journey, Clipper will reach its destination in April 30 all while transmitting data about its encounters in space.

The spacecraft's giant solar panels and radar antennas have made it the biggest one ever built by NASA. When the solar panels are fully unfurled, Clipper will measure over 100 feet or 30.5 metres, bigger than a basketball court.

Apart from the 10-feet-wide antenna, the spacecraft also has several smaller antennas and transmission of data from Jupiter's orbit will take about 45 minutes to reach Earth.

Clipper will conduct approximately 50 flybys of Europa and use its nine science instruments to peer beneath the moon's icy crust and determine if the hidden oceans have potential to support life.

This mission holds immense significance as NASA says understanding Europa's potential habitability will shed light on how life developed on Earth.

The other objectives of this mission is to determine the thickness of Europaa's crust, its surface interactions with the ocean below along with investigation of its composition and characterisation of its geology.

Simmie Berman, the radio frequency module manager, said that she has "never worked on anything of this magnitude."

"Little kids know where Jupiter is. They know what Europa looks like. It’s supercool to get to work on something that has the potential for such a big impact, in terms of knowledge, for humanity," she said.

(Image: NASA)