European Space Agency JUICE mission 2023: Here's all about Jupiter's life-hunting venture

European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for its upcoming Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission that will launch in 2023 to peer into surfaces of Jupiter's Moons. Our solar system's largest planet has a total of 79 Moons and  JUICE spacecraft, which is currently being developed will primarily focus on three Moons-  Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. However, ESA says that among trio, Europa will steal most of spotlight owing to ocean that sits beneath its icy crust. aforementioned Moons, along with Io – most volcanically active place in solar system, are called Galilean Moons, as y were first observed by Italian astronomer Galileo in early 17th century.

Europa, poster child of Galilean Moons

reason why Europa's oceans are of such great interest is that astrobiologists believe that every living thing on Earth needs water to survive. While mitting that same is not necessary for alien life, y say that looking for life signs in water is an excellent place to start. Europa is known to have an ocean that contains more liquid water than all of Earth’s seas, lakes, and rivers combined, says ESA. 

Next up is Callisto, which will host JUICE spacecraft on 12 occasions. spacecraft will make highest number of flybys on this planet, as opposed to only two across Europa. Being  outermost of four Galilean moons, Callisto experiences least amount of Jupiter's gravity and riation and scientists suspect that this too has a 200km-deep ocean beneath its surface. 

Astronomers also have ir eyes on Ganymede, which according to professor Michele Dougherty from Imperial College London, is " most exciting body in Solar System". JUICE spacecraft will orbit Ganymede for eight months and will help scientists study its magnetism, Ganymede's most exciting feature. Interestingly, spacecraft under this mission will become first to orbit a Moon or than Earth's. Anor attractive feature of Ganymede is its sub-surface ocean, which is said to have more water than on Earth. It is worth noting that this Moon of Jupiter is bigger than Pluto and Mercury, making it bigger than any or moon.

(Image: Twitter/@esascience)