JUICE, the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer of the European Space Agency, was launched on 14 April 2023. It is taking the long way to Jupiter, with flybys of the Moon and the Earth in 2024, Venus in 2025, then the Earth again, before arriving in 2031. There it will study Jupiter and three of its large moons, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, which may all hide oceans under their ice. In 2034 it will become the first spacecraft to orbit a moon of another planet: Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, larger than the planet Mercury and the only one with its own magnetic field.
Where is ESA’s JUICE mission?
Computing…
About JUICE
- Agency
- ESA
- Launched
- 2023-04-14
- Status
- Cruise
Goals
JUICE explores Jupiter and three of its large icy moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa, which are thought to hide oceans of liquid water beneath their crust. It will study these moons as possible habitats for life, explore Jupiter's atmosphere and magnetic environment, and finally orbit Ganymede. The Jupiter system also serves as a model for the giant planets found around other stars.
Today
Third gravity assist; instruments on from 23 Sept to 3 Oct for Earth/Moon calibration; eclipse in Earth's shadow night of 27-28 Sept. Final Earth flyby January 2029, Ganymede orbit 2034.
Questions and answers
Why does JUICE take eight years to reach Jupiter?
No rocket can send such a heavy probe straight there; flybys of the Earth, the Moon and Venus give it the extra speed it needs.
Do JUICE and Europa Clipper compete?
They complement each other: Clipper focuses on Europa, JUICE on Ganymede and Callisto, and their teams share plans.
Where the numbers come from
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