ESA's mission Juice to embark on exploration of Jupiter and its icy moons on April 13
Who is Nikki Haley? The Indian-American top gun with strong political views teased to challenge Biden in 2024
The mission called Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will be launched on April 13 from Europes Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana.
The spacecraft will travel in space for eight years before reaching its destination in 2031 to study the gas giant along with its three large ocean-bearing moons Callisto, Ganymede and Europa.
ALSO READ |
Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally
The spacecraft has been transferred by the engineers to its final assembly before the next week's launch and has been mounted on the Ariane 5 rocket which will carry it into space.
"This ambitious mission will characterise these moons with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life," said the European Space Agency, in a statement.
During its space mission, Juice will study Jupiter's radiation, plasma environment and magnetism in-depth and their interplay with the moons.
The spacecraft will carry mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH) fuel and nitrogen (MON) oxidizer's mixed oxides, which ignite when the two come in contact.
The propellant will be used by Juice to make critical course manoeuvres during its journey into the Jupiter system and to move into orbit around the planet to finally reach its largest moon, Ganymede.
The spacecraft, after reaching Jupiter, will conduct 35 flybys of the moons of the gas giant to explore the mission's principal objectives: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
ESA said that the mission will end after an extended study of Ganymede, making the spacecraft the first of its kind which orbited a moon other than Earth's in 2034.
WATCH | Gravitas: A spectacular planetary performance
The spacecraft will include 10 instruments and will characterise the ocean-bearing icy moons of Jupiter. The mission will also seek answers to questions like whether the existence of life is unique to our planet or whether there is a possibility of life's occurrence in our Solar System or other galaxies.
The agency will launch the spacecraft onboard the Ariane-5 rocket, which is a workhorse for the European Space Agency. Ariane 5 includes a core stage with two side boosters and an upper stage which is powered by a payload fairing and a liquid-propellant engine.
The ogive-shaped fairing present at the top of Ariane 5 is 5.4 m in diameter and over 17 m high.
(With inputs from agencies)
You cannow write for wionews.comand be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us
Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 10:26 am