JUICE mission to explore Jupiter planet, Jovian system begins in 2022

New Delhi : Mission to explore planet Jupiter is all set to begin from 2022; the European Space Agency will be launching (Jupiter Icy moons explorer) JUICE to examine the giant planet’s turbulent atmosphere, enormous magnetosphere, its set of tenuous dark rings and satellites.

It will be entering Jovian system in 2029 and will stay there for about three and a half years to examine the Jupiter.

ESA approved construction of prototype of space aircraft after fixing the preliminary design of JUICE and its interfaces with the scientific instruments and the ground stations earlier this month.

With the approval, ESA’s industrial partners, led by Airbus, will build a prototype spacecraft for rigorous testing ahead of the Juice mission launch.

JUICE will study the large icy moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto. The mission will culminate in a dedicated, eight-month tour around Ganymede, the first time any moon beyond our own has been orbited by a spacecraft.

“The spacecraft design has been extensively and positively reviewed, and confirmed to address the many critical mission requirements,” PTI quotes Giuseppe Sarri, Juice project manager.

JUICE is expected with high tech instruments like camera, an ice-penetrating radar, an altimeter, radio-science experiments, and sensors to explore the Jovian system.

ESA also noted that following its launch, Juice will make a total of five gravity-assist flybys, one each at Mars and Venus, and three at Earth, to set it on course for Jupiter.