"Radiation Threatens NASA's $5B Europa Clipper Mission"
NASA's science head, Nicky Fox, remains optimistic that the $5 billion Europa Clipper mission will launch on schedule in October despite concerns about the spacecraft's radiation tolerance and a recent SpaceX Falcon 9 anomaly. The mission aims to study Jupiter's moon Europa, which has a potentially habitable subsurface ocean. Additionally, NASA is exploring new options to reduce costs and schedule for the Mars Sample Return program, focusing on innovative solutions for the mission's middle phase.