European Space Agency to explore Jupiter's moons
The European Space Agency has given the go-ahead for an exciting mission to explore the icy moons of Jupiter, as well as the giant planet itself.
听鈥斅�JU辫颈迟别谤听ICy moons聽Explorer 鈥� will consist of a solar-powered spacecraft that will spend 3.5 years within the Jovian system, investigating Ganymede, Europa and the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. Anticipated to launch in June 2022, JUICE would arrive at Jupiter in early 2030.
As its name implies, JUICE鈥檚 main targets are Jupiter鈥檚 largest icy moons 鈥� Ganymede and Europa 鈥� which are thought to have liquid oceans concealed beneath their frozen surfaces.
The largest moon in the Solar System, Ganymede is also thought to have a molten iron core generating a magnetic field much like Earth鈥檚. The internal heat from this core may help keep Ganymede鈥檚 underground ocean liquid, but the dynamics of how it all works are not quite understood.
JUICE will also study the ice-coated Europa, whose cueball-smooth surface lined with cracks and jumbled mounds of frozen material seem to be sure indicators of a subsurface ocean, although how deep and how extensive is might be are still unknown 鈥� not to mention its composition and whether or not it could be hospitable to life.
鈥淛UICE will give us better insight into how gas giants and their orbiting worlds form, and their potential for hosting life,鈥� said Professor Alvaro Gim茅nez Ca帽ete, ESA鈥檚 Director of Science and Robotic Exploration.
The JUICE spacecraft was originally supposed to join a NASA mission dedicated to the investigation of Europa, but NASA deemed their proposed mission too costly and it was cancelled. According to Robert Pappalardo, study scientist for the Europa mission based at JPL,聽NASA may still supply some instruments for the spacecraft 鈥渁ssuming that the funding situation in the United States can bear it.鈥�
JUICE will also capture images of Jupiter鈥檚 moon Callisto and search for aurorae in the gas giant鈥檚 upper atmosphere, as well as measure the planet鈥檚 powerful magnetic field. Once arriving in 2030, it will spend at least three years exploring the Jovian worlds.
Read more in today鈥檚 news release from聽, and stay tuned to ESA鈥檚 JUICE mission page聽.
Jason Major is a graphic designer living in Dallas, Texas. He writes about astronomy and space exploration on and also on his blog聽, Discovery News and National Geographic News.
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