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The European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft will return to Earth on Monday evening and take part in a “world-first” flyby.
ESA flight controllers will steer the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice), with British instruments on board, past the Moon and then past the Earth.
In this risky maneuver, Juice takes a shortcut across Venus to Jupiter, using first the moon’s gravity and then the Earth’s as a natural brake. He slows down and then catapults himself into the next phase of his journey.
The mission launched in April 2023 on a 6.6 billion kilometer journey that will last more than eight years.
There are ten scientific instruments on board to investigate whether life is possible in the oceans of the gas giant’s three moons – Callisto, Europa and Ganymede.
On Monday, from around 11:57 p.m. until the early hours of Tuesday, there will be a double world premiere with the flyby of the Moon and Earth and the double gravity assist maneuver, according to ESA.
The movement changes Juice’s speed and direction and thus its course through space.
However, the slightest mistake could cause the spacecraft to deviate from its course and end the mission.
Dr Caroline Harper, head of space research at the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a world first: a double flyby of the Moon and Earth has never been achieved before.
“It’s a tricky manoeuvre that requires incredibly precise navigation by ESA flight controllers in real time, and even a tiny mistake could send Juice off course. But it will be worth it.
“The spacecraft will use the gravity of the Moon and then the Earth as a natural brake – it will slow down and then catapult itself like a slingshot towards the next stop on its planetary tour.
“This will save a huge amount of fuel, allowing Juice to be used for much more scientific purposes when it arrives at its destination.
“The UK Space Agency has invested £9 million in the scientific instruments on board, so we will be watching Juice closely and wish him all the best for the next leg of his journey to Jupiter.”
Earth will alter Juice’s trajectory through space, redirecting it onto a course that will result in a flyby of Venus in August 2025.
From then on, the energy bursts begin, with the spacecraft being accelerated at Venus and then twice at Earth – in space research, this is the equivalent of drinking three consecutive espressos.
The risky maneuvers are necessary because Jupiter is on average 800 million kilometers away from Earth.
Without a huge rocket, an impossible 60,000 kg of fuel would be needed on board to send Juice directly to the gas giant.
In addition, the satellite would need to carry a huge amount of extra fuel to slow down sufficiently and enter orbit around Jupiter upon arrival, rather than simply whizzing past and into space.
The complex and constantly evolving route has been carefully planned by the mission analysis team over the past 20 years.
Some keen stargazers may be able to see Juice passing overhead as the spacecraft flies directly over Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
A powerful pair of binoculars or a telescope will give you the best chance of seeing the spacecraft.
Two cameras on board Juice will take photos throughout the entire flyby between the Moon and Earth, which will be made publicly available once they arrive on Earth.
