Launch of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

Last Updated on 2023/04/14

Destination Jupiter: Mission to Investigate the Icy Moons of the Gas Giant.

On April 13, 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) embarked on an ambitious mission to uncover the secrets of Jupiter’s icy moons with the launch of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE). JUICE, the first large-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program, aims to explore the gas giant Jupiter and its intriguing icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

The spacecraft was launched at 8:15 a.m. ET (12:15 UTC) on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The journey to Jupiter is expected to take eight years, with the spacecraft arriving at its destination in 2031. Once there, JUICE will spend 2.5 years orbiting Jupiter and frequently flying within 200 to 1,000 kilometers (about 120 to 620 miles) of the icy moons [1].

JUICE’s mission objectives are to make detailed observations of Jupiter and its system, with particular emphasis on Ganymede as a planetary body and potential habitat [2]. The spacecraft will also study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the universe [3].

Juice's Science Instruments — **Juice’s Science Instruments.** According to the European Space Agency, Juice, which stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, possesses a remarkable collection of 10 science instruments, along with a radiation monitor and a radio experiment. This impressive array of tools is considered to be the most advanced and capable set of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ payloads ever deployed to the outer reaches of our Solar System.

The icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto have long intrigued scientists, who believe they may contain vast subsurface oceans and could potentially harbor life. JUICE will carry a suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments to characterize these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats [4].

The mission’s success will provide valuable information about Jupiter’s environment and the potential habitability of its icy moons. It will also serve as a foundation for future missions to these fascinating celestial bodies, including potential landers that could drill through the icy crust to explore the oceans below [5].

Juice Ganymede flyby. In this artist’s rendering by the European Space Agency, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is depicted as it passes by Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons.

As JUICE begins its long journey to Jupiter, the world eagerly awaits the groundbreaking discoveries this mission is expected to bring. The detailed observations and data gathered by JUICE will not only increase our understanding of the Jupiter system but also offer insights into the formation and evolution of gas giants and their moons throughout the universe.