ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is coming again to Earth.
Our fearless traveller is getting a nudge from Earth this summer season, within the first of 4 ‘gravity help manoeuvres’ that can put Juice on exactly the precise path to reach at Jupiter with the right velocity and course in July 2031.
That is the second massive milestone in Juice’s journey to Jupiter, with the primary being the launch into area on 14 April 2023. This second serving to hand takes a really totally different kind, with Juice flying previous the Moon on 19 August, lining it as much as fly previous Earth on 20 August. The Earth flyby will line the spacecraft up for a flyby of Venus in summer season 2025.
Gravity is a fickle pal. These gravity help flybys are a invaluable approach to get Juice to Jupiter with much less gas, however they threaten derailment at any time. ESA mission operators can be holding a really shut eye on the spacecraft because it approaches the Moon-Earth system, making any tiny changes wanted to maintain the spacecraft on the precise course.
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