Weather delays launch of Europe's Jupiter mission by 24 hours (Update)
The launch of the European Space Agency's JUICE mission, which aims to discover whether Jupiter's icy moons are capable of hosting extraterrestrial life, was postponed on Thursday for 24 hours due to bad weather.
The launch was called off just minutes before the planned lift-off at 1215 GMT from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, because of the threat of lightning in the cloudy skies overhead.
The next attempt will take place at 1214 GMT on Friday, the European Space Agency said.
Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace which provided the Ariane 5 rocket, said that with just minutes to spare, "a large mass of clouds approached and we absolutely could not proceed with the launch due to the risk of lightning".
For lift-off to go ahead, three parameters must get the green light: the launcher, the probe and the weather—which was "the final suspense," he told AFP.
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Europe's Jupiter probe set for new launch attempt
The European Space Agency's JUICE mission to explore Jupiter's icy, ocean-bearing moons will again try to blast off on Friday, a day after the first launch attempt was called off due to the threat of lightning.
The spacecraft is scheduled to launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 1214 GMT, 30 seconds earlier than Thursday's aborted effort.
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b>Why focus on Ganymede? br> /b>
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A new chapter in humanity's search for extraterrestrial life opens on Thursday as Europe's JUICE spacecraft blasts off on a mission to investigate the icy moons of Jupiter.
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Remarkable advances in private launch capability and space-based technologies are creating vast new opportunities for businesses and investors in low-Earth orbit - and beyond. A new book by Space Capital founder and managing partner Chad Anderson plumbs the depths of these new opportunities, while also explaining the challenges and risks that need to be considered.
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