The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched on a historic mission to explore the Moons of Jupiter, which scientists believe could play host to extraterrestrial life.
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice for short, was designed to explore one of the most hostile places in our solar system – the radiation drenched space surrounding Jupiter. This vast gas giant was named for the king of the Roman pantheon of gods, and it isn’t difficult to see why.
Jupiter is 2.5 times larger than all of the other planets in the solar system combined, with storms raging on its surface that are bigger than our entire planet. It is also orbited by over 80 moons, some of which are considered to be the most promising places in the cosmos to find extraterrestrial life.
#ICYMI ?liftoff of @ariane5 #VA260 from @EuropeSpacePort in French Guiana carrying @ESA_JUICE on its way: #DestinationJupiter
? speakers to LOUDhttps://t.co/f7fKIxXt7T
— ESA (@esa) April 14, 2023
Three of these moons – Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa – will be the primary targets for JUICE. The Spacecraft is set to perform a grand total of 35 flybys of these alien worlds over the course of its four year stay in the Jovian system.
During these close encounters, the spacecraft will use its advanced suite of 10 scientific instruments to shed light on the potentially habitable subsurface oceans that are thought to exist locked away beneath the moons icy shells.
The robotic explorer will also probe the vast mass of Jupiter itself between flybys, taking aim at the gas giant’s tumultuous atmosphere, magnetic signature, and its tenuous ring system. By exploring the Jovian system, the scientific community hope to gain a greater understanding of the countless gas giants that populate the universe, and their potential to harbour life.
However, before its marathon mission could begin, the probe would have to survive the dangerous journey through Earth’s dense atmospheric shell.
The Fiery Start to a Jovian Odyssey.
JUICE’s mission began on April 14 in French Guiana with a series of controlled explosions that ignited the powerful engines of its Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The combined thrust of the Vulcan engine – and the Ariane’s side-strap solid fuel boosters – hefted both spacecraft and rocket eastward into the skies above the European space port.
A little over two minutes into the flight the rocket jettisoned the now spent twin boosters, which were soon followed with the ejection of the protective fairing that had shrouded the JUICE spacecraft as it ascended through the densest part of Earth’s atmosphere.
Eight minutes and 46 seconds after launch, having pushed the spacecraft to 200 km above Earth’s surface, the colossal first stage of the rocket detached from the upper section, freeing the Ariane 5’s vacuum optimised engine to ignite, and continue the push to space.
The team received confirmation that the Jupiter-bound spacecraft had successfully separated from its depleted rocket a little under 28 minutes after lift-off. After a nervy wait, the spacecraft’s handlers were also able to communicate with JUICE – a vital step to getting the explorer ready to face its great journey.
This first stage of the mission saw JUICE travel a mere 1,500 km away from our planet’s surface. The next eight years will see the spacecraft travel millions of miles through the frigid vacuum of space, and perform multiple flybys of Earth and Venus before finally arriving at Jupiter in July 2031.
Once there, JUICE has the potential to revolutionize humanity’s understanding of Jupiter, its moons, and the potential for life to survive in what appear to be the most inhospitable of places. Stick with IGN to stay up to date with the search for life, and to keep up to date with the greatest developments in the world of science.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Image credit: ESA
