JUICE Mission Sets to Break Records with Lunar-Earth Flyby

August 12, 2024

The European Space Agency (ESA) is about to perform a very important and new kind of move in its JUICE mission. This move called a Lunar-Earth gravity assist, will use both the Moon and Earth to help change the spacecraft’s speed and direction. It’s the first time a spacecraft will use two different celestial bodies in this way. This maneuver is crucial and will greatly affect how the rest of the mission goes.

What is the JUICE Mission?

JUICE, which stands for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, is a spacecraft created to study the moons of Jupiter, especially Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, to see if they could support life.

Execution of the Flyby

Here’s how it will work:

Moon Encounter: On August 19, 2023, at 21:16 UTC, JUICE will fly close to the Moon, which will slow it down a bit.

Earth Approach: About 25 hours later, JUICE will come near Earth, where Earth’s gravity will slow it down even more.

Challenges of the Maneuver

The maneuver needs to be done with very careful timing and exact positioning. Even a small mistake could put the whole mission at risk. It’s like trying to drive through a narrow hallway at a high speed, as described by Spacecraft Operations Manager Ignacio Tanco. The main goal of the mission is to find out if any of Jupiter’s icy moons could support life. Dr. Olivier Witasse emphasized that this is the most important question the mission is trying to answer.

Benefits of the Flyby

The fuel saved during the Lunar-Earth gravity assist (LEGA) is very important for JUICE’s future tasks. It will allow the spacecraft to fly close to Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons, at about 200 kilometers (120 miles) above its surface to take detailed pictures and measurements. This flyby will also give the team a chance to test the spacecraft’s tools in space, making sure they work well before JUICE begins its detailed studies of Ganymede and other moons.

Facts about JUICE mission

The JUICE mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to explore Jupiter’s moons, especially Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
The mission was launched in April 2023 and will take eight years to reach Jupiter.
The spacecraft has ten scientific instruments to study the icy surfaces and possible underground oceans of the moons.
Its findings could help us understand if life could exist beyond Earth.
JUICE will also study Jupiter’s magnetic field and atmosphere, providing important data for planetary science.

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