JUICE MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: European scientists were due to attempt a first in orbital gymnastics late on August 19, tapping into the gravity of the earth in quick succession to guide the JUICE probe towards Jupiter in the first-ever double slingshot manoeuvre.

JUICE Mission

• About: This is a large scale mission for the exploration of Jupiter’s icy moons being led by ESA (the European Space Agency).
• Full form: Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE).
• Launch: 14 April 2023
• Launch vehicle: Ariane 5
• Objective: The mission will utilize a suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments for its observations.
• Aim: JUICE will conduct detailed observations of Jupiter and its three large, ocean-bearing moons—Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa—using advanced remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments.
• Reasearch: The mission aims to characterize these moons both as planetary bodies and potential habitats, exploring their geological and environmental features in depth.

o JUICE will investigate Jupiter's complex environment, studying the planet and its moons as an archetype for gas giants throughout the Universe.

o The mission’s findings are expected to offer valuable clues about Jupiter’s formation and the broader processes involved in planetary system development.

o By examining Jupiter and its Galilean moons, JUICE seeks to provide insights into the formation of the solar system and the origins of extrasolar planetary systems.