The Juice will launch from Europe’s spaceport French Guiana on an eight-year-long voyage to Jupiter and its moons.
The European Space Agency has fully integrated Ariane 5 for flight carrying its Juice mission beyond Earth. The JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission will launch to the biggest planet in the solar system in search of signs of life on its three biggest moons.
The Juice will launch from Europe’s spaceport French Guiana on an eight-year-long voyage to Jupiter and its moons. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 13:15 BST (5:45 pm IST) on Europe’s most powerful rocket – the Ariane-5.
Juice will separate from the rocket after nearly 30 minutes to begin its voyage in the vacuum of space. During its voyage, the spacecraft will complete fly-bys of Venus, Earth, and the Earth-Moon system to arrive at its destination in 2031.
WHAT WILL JUICE DO AROUND JUPITER?
The spacecraft will observe Jupiter and its three largest moons: Callisto, Europa, and, in particular, Ganymede. The moon’s buried oceans could tell us whether life can arise in different environments across the cosmos. The objective is to explore the moons for habitability and to explore if it is possible to live around giants.
The European Space Agency has said that the overarching theme is the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants. “In the Solar System, we know of only one body that has experienced the emergence of life: Earth. Is the origin of life unique to our planet, or could it occur elsewhere in our Solar System – or beyond?” ESA said.
The spacecraft will characterise the oceans, icy shells, compositions, surfaces, environments, and activity of Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto and the wider Jupiter system, characterising Jupiter’s atmosphere, magnetic environment, ring system, and other satellites.
After its first arrival in the Jovian system, the spacecraft will go on to spend many months orbiting Jupiter, completing fly-bys of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, and finally conducting an orbital tour of Ganymede.
WHAT IS JUICE MISSION CARRYING TO JUPITER?
The spacecraft will be powered by 10 solar panels that will be deployed as two distinctive cross-shaped arrays. These total an area of about 85 square meters. Juice has been equipped with 0 state-of-the-art instruments, comprising the most powerful remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ payload complement ever flown to the outer Solar System.