WASHINGTON — Nasa is set to launch a spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa, considered one of our solar system's most promising spots to search for life beyond Earth, to learn whether this ice-encased world believed to harbour a vast underground ocean is habitable.

The US space agency's robotic solar-powered Europa Clipper spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, carrying nine scientific instruments. After travelling 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion km) in a trip lasting about 5-1/2 years, Europa Clipper is due to enter orbit around Jupiter in 2030.

After a delay caused by Hurricane Milton, Nasa set a tentative launch time for 12.06pm ET (1606 GMT) on Monday (Oct 14).

Scientists have a keen interest in the salty liquid water ocean that previous observations have indicated resides below Europa's icy shell.

"There is very strong evidence that the ingredients for life exist on Europa. But we have to go there to find out," said planetary scientist Bonnie Buratti of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the mission's deputy project scientist.

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