Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
Artist's impression of the Juice spacecraft orbiting Jupiter
NamesJuice
Mission typeJupiter orbiter
OperatorEuropean Space Agency
COSPAR ID2023-053A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.56176Edit this on Wikidata
WebsiteOfficial website
Mission duration
  • Cruise phase:
    8 years
  • Science phase:
    3.5 years
  • Elapsed:
    1 year, 7 months, 9 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAirbus Defence and Space
Launch mass6,070 kg (13,380 lb)[1]
Dry mass2,420 kg (5,340 lb)[1]
Dimensions16.8 × 27.1 × 13.7 meters[1]
Power850 watts[1]
Start of mission
Launch date14 April 2023 12:14:36 UTC[2]
RocketAriane 5 ECA+ (VA-260)
Launch siteKourou ELA-3
ContractorArianespace
Flyby of Moon
Closest approach19 August 2024, 21:16 UTC
Distance700 km (430 mi)
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach20 August 2024, 21:57 UTC
Distance6,807 km (4,230 mi)
Flyby of Venus
Closest approach31 August 2025
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach29 September 2026
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach18 January 2029
Jupiter orbiter
Orbital insertionJuly 2031 (planned)
Orbital departureDecember 2034 (planned)
Ganymede orbiter
Orbital insertionDecember 2034 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Periapsis altitude500 km (310 mi)
Apoapsis altitude500 km (310 mi)
Juice mission logo
Juice mission insignia
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The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice, formerly JUICE[3]) is an interplanetary spacecraft on its way to orbit and study three icy moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. These planetary-mass moons are planned to be studied because they are thought to have significant bodies of liquid water beneath their frozen surfaces, which would make them potentially habitable for extraterrestrial life.[4][5]

Juice is the first interplanetary spacecraft to the outer Solar System planets not launched by the United States and the first set to orbit a moon other than Earth's Moon. Launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on 14 April 2023, with Airbus Defence and Space as the main contractor,[6][7] it is expected to reach Jupiter in July 2031 after four gravity assists and eight years of travel.[8][9] In December 2034, the spacecraft will enter orbit around Ganymede for its close-up science mission.[8] Its period of operations will overlap with NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which was launched in October 2024.

  1. ^ a b c d "JUpiter ICy moons Explorer". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 13 November 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "European Space Agency: Blast off for Jupiter icy moons mission". BBC News. 14 April 2023. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Juice, exploring Jupiter's icy moons". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. ^ Clark, Stuart (5 March 2023). "'It's like finding needles in a haystack': the mission to discover if Jupiter's moons support life". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  5. ^ "ESA—Selection of the L1 mission" (PDF). ESA. 17 April 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  6. ^ "ESA's Juice lifts off on quest to discover secrets of Jupiter's icy moons". ESA. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  7. ^ "JUICE. Searching for life on Jupiter's icy moons". www.airbus.com. 27 October 2021. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour". ESA. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  9. ^ "JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE)". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA. 28 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.

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