The robotic vessel set off on an eight-year journey Friday from French Guiana in South America, launching atop an Ariane rocket. The moons it will explore are believed to have underground oceans.
| AP Aerospace Writer
It will take the robotic explorer, dubbed Juice, eight years to reach Jupiter, where it will scope out not only the solar system’s biggest planet but also Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. The three ice-encrusted moons are believed to harbor underground oceans, where sea life could exist. This photo provided by the European Space Agency shows an Ariane rocket carrying the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, spacecraft lifting off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Friday, April 14, 2023. A European spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a decadelong quest to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could have buried oceans.
“This is a mission that is answering questions of science that are burning to all of us,” said European Space Agency’s director general, Josef Aschbacher after the launch. “Of course, one of these questions is: Is there life out there?” “The ocean worlds in our solar system are the most likely to have possible life, so these large moons of Jupiter are prime candidates to search,” said Sheppard, a moon hunter who’s helped discover well over 100 in the outer solar system.
Juice — short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer — will spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. The spacecraft will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede in late 2034, circling the moon for nearly a year before flight controllers send it crashing down in 2035, later if enough fuel remains.
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European spacecraft begins decade-long journey to Jupiter, its icy moonsThe Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will take a long and winding path to Jupiter, which is 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth.
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European spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter and its icy moonsA European spacecraft has blasted off on a quest to explore Jupiter and three of its ice-encrusted moons. Dubbed Juice, the robotic explorer set off on an eight-year journey Friday from French Guiana in South America, launching atop an Ariane rocket. Juice is taking a long, roundabout route. It should reach Jupiter in 2031 and spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Then it will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede, our solar system's largest moon. The three moons are believed to harbor underground oceans, where sea life could exist. If underground seas are confirmed, ice picks and a submarine could be next up.
Read more »
European spacecraft on way to Jupiter and its icy moonsA European spacecraft has blasted off on a quest to explore Jupiter and three of its ice-encrusted moons. Dubbed Juice, the robotic explorer set off on an eight-year journey Friday from French Guiana in South America, launching atop an Ariane rocket. Juice is taking a long, roundabout route. It should reach Jupiter in 2031 and spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Then it will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede, our solar system's largest moon. The three moons are believed to harbor underground oceans, where sea life could exist. If underground seas are confirmed, ice picks and a submarine could be next up.
Read more »
European spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter and its icy moonsThe journey began with a morning liftoff by Europe’s Ariane rocket from French Guiana in South America.
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European spacecraft on way to Jupiter and its icy moonsA European spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a decadelong quest to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could hold buried oceans.
Read more »