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Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

ESA's mission to explore Jupiter's icy moons

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Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

European Space Agency · CC BY-SA 3.0 igo

Launched on 14 April 2023, it is expected to reach Jupiter in July 2031 and enter orbit around Ganymede in December 2034.[1] Developed by the European Space Agency, the interplanetary spacecraft Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is traveling to examine three of Jupiter's icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.[2][3]

How it changed

The mission evolved from the earlier Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter proposal, which was part of the cancelled Europa Jupiter System Mission.[4] The spacecraft carries about 3000 kg of chemical propellant for orbit insertions and more than 25 gravity assists, with a total delta-V capability of about 2700 m/s.[5] Juice performed the first-ever lunar-Earth gravity assist in August 2024, saving up to 150 kg of fuel and deflecting its path by 100°.[6] In August 2025, it successfully flew by Venus at a closest approach of 5,088 km, using its high-gain antenna as a thermal shield against solar flux of 3,000 W/m².[7][8]

Preliminary scientific results released in April 2026 showed the comet was releasing 2000 kg of water per second, with most water coming from the Sun-facing side.[9]

What the maker and period sources say

A BBC Sky at Night Magazine article notes that Juice was one of three spacecraft at the Jupiter system that could observe comet 3I/ATLAS, and that ESA said Juice would attempt observations in November 2025 using cameras, spectrometers, and a particle sensor.[10] The same article reports that coordination with NASA's Europa Clipper was being considered for twin ultraviolet spectrograph observations.[10] The Red Book provides the technical summary of the JUICE definition study performed from February 2012 to October 2014.[11] According to the JUICE definition study report (Red Book) from ESA, the mission was selected in May 2012 to be the first large mission within the Cosmic Vision Program 2015-2025.[11]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "ESA's Juice lifts off on quest to discover secrets of Jupiter's icy moons", ESA, 14 April 2023; "JUICE. Searching for life on Jupiter's icy moons", www.airbus.com, 27 October 2021; "Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour", ESA, 29 March 2022; "JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE)", NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive, 28 October 2021; "Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour", ESA, 29 March 2022; "Juice and Europa Clipper: Dream team to Jupiter", www.esa.int (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Juice, exploring Jupiter's icy moons", The Planetary Society (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clark, "'It's like finding needles in a haystack': the mission to discover if Jupiter's moons support life", The Guardian, 5 March 2023; "ESA—Selection of the L1 mission", ESA, 17 April 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer): a European-led mission to the Jupiter system", Copernicus.org; Amos, "ESA selects 1bn-euro Juice probe to Jupiter", BBC News, 2 May 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "JUICE—Spacecraft", ESA Science & Technology, 16 March 2012; "ESA/SRE(2014)1 JUICE definition study report (Red Book)", ESA (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Juice rerouted to Venus in world's first lunar-Earth flyby", www.esa.int (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Juice team resolves anomaly on approach to Venus", www.esa.int (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Flyby success! ESA's Juice spacecraft passed Venus at 07:28 CEST on 31 August.; Sarri, "JUICE FlyBy of Venus: Spacecraft Survives Hellish Heat on the Way to Icy Moons", Orbital Today, 2025-09-01 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Five things Juice has revealed about Comet 3I/ATLAS", www.esa.int; [email protected], "Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS spewed 70 swimming pools of water every day as it flew past the Sun", BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 2026-04-13; Voices, "5 insights on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from ESA’s Juice mission", earthsky.org, 2026-04-05; "Juice, un point de vue unique sur la comète 3I/ATLAS", CNES, 14 April 2026 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. [email protected], "Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS could soon be seen by spacecraft at Mars, Jupiter and the Sun, scientists say", BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 2025-09-18. facts only, no text reused. skyatnightmagazine.com
  11. "ESA/SRE(2014)1 JUICE definition study report (Red Book)", ESA. facts only, no text reused. sci.esa.int

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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