Premiere at ESA – “Juice” flies around Earth and Moon

The Jupiter probe “Juice” will return to Earth and the moon again on its eight-year journey to the largest planet in our solar system. The maneuvers that will take place over the next few days are important to change the probe's path so that it can fly accurately to Jupiter and its moons.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), which controls the satellite from its control center in Darmstadt, such a flyby of the Moon and Earth is the first of its kind. In response to a question from the German Press Agency, the head of the control center, Simon Blume, described it as a “daring and precise maneuver.”

In some parts of the world, people will have a chance to watch the flyby. The “juice” will fly by at night in the Western Hemisphere and then during the day in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. According to DLR, people in Europe may be able to see the probe on the night of August 20-21 with powerful binoculars or a telescope – as a quick point of light.

The European Space Agency describes the flyby of Juice (Jupiter's Icy Moons Explorer) as a challenge unlike any other space mission ever planned. “The slightest error could derail Juice and end the mission,” it said in a statement.

According to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the maneuver is intended to save fuel for the rest of the mission. Since its launch in April last year, JOICE has already traveled more than a billion kilometers.

The probe is scheduled to approach the Moon and Earth at the following times: on August 19 at 11:28 p.m. (CEST) it will be 750 kilometers from the Moon's surface and the following day at 11:00 p.m. (CEST) at a distance of about 6,800 kilometers from Earth.

It must then set its course towards Venus and then return to Earth two more times, in 2026 and 2029. These manoeuvres also serve to set the course. Only then will the “juice” make its way into the outer solar system to Jupiter and its icy moons. According to mission manager Nicolas Altobelli, the upcoming flyby will be an excellent test of the instruments. They have been developed in several scientific laboratories over the years. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) made a major contribution to the camera and laser altimeter.

The instruments can now be tested on real targets during the flight, said mission scientist Claire Vallat. The on-board cameras will also be used to take pictures of the Moon. According to the European Space Agency, it is possible to correct the trajectory, for example if the trajectory is not as expected or there is a collision warning.

After years of travel, JOYCE, with its 10 instruments on board, will take a closer look at Jupiter’s moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede starting in 2031. When it comes to the moons, experts assume there is water beneath a kilometer-thick layer of ice — and with it, the conditions for possible life. The mission to the gas giant Jupiter is expected to last from 2031 to 2035.

advertisement