Nasa’s Europa Clipper sets sail for Jupiter’s icy moon to study habitability

Craft lifts off aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy with plans to peer under Europa's crust where ocean may be near surface

A Nasa spacecraft has set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth.

Europa Clipper will peer beneath the moon's icy crust where an ocean is thought to be sloshing fairly close to the surface. It won't search for life, but rather determine whether conditions there could support it. Another mission would be needed to flush out any microorganisms lurking there.