ESA announces launch window for 2023 JUICE mission for exploring Jupiter's icy Moons

European Space Agency (ESA) has finalised timeline for launching its JUICE mission to Jupiter in 2023. Engineers will be targeting a launch window between April 5 to 25 in an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. Once in space, JUICE spacecraft will begin its eight-year-long journey before entering Jupiter system in 2031. 

JUICE mission

This new venture is to explore three of Jupiter's largest moons- Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Since scientists are confident that some of se moons have vast oceans beneath ir icy surface, spacecraft will be used to investigate scope of habitability. Built to last till 2035, spacecraft will examine atmosphere, surface, subsurface, interior and internal oceans of se moons by perceiving m as possible habitats. 

JUICE mission profile

When spacecraft is pushed into space, scientists will execute a series of gravity assist flybys of Earth, Earth-Moon system and Venus to set spacecraft on course for its journey. ESA reveals that three flybys have been scheduled at different time windows- Earth-Moon (August 2024), Venus (August 2025), and again Earth (September 2026, January 2029). se flybys are extremely useful as y would help save los of propellant during spacecraft’s journey.

Cut to 2031, JUICE spacecraft will begin its operations about six months before entering Jupiter’s orbit. Scientists will execute anor slingshot of spacecraft using gravity assist from Ganymede to insert JUICE into gas giant’s orbit. Once in orbit, spacecraft will n make detailed observations of Moons for next four years. It is worth noting that out of three Moons, Europa will hog most spotlight because of its potential ocean which has scientists pretty excited.

After several flybys of Europa and Callisto, spacecraft will finally reach its final destination- Ganymede. Known for its own magnetic field, this Moon will be observed for eight months. According to ESA, spacecraft’s orbit around Ganymede will eventually decay as propellant tank starts getting emptied. Eventually, spacecraft will make a grazing impact on Moon around 2035 which has been shown in animation above. 

Image: Twitter/@esascience