The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) probe recently completed a historic flyby of the Moon. On Monday, August 19, 2024, the spacecraft came within about 465 miles (750 kilometers) of the lunar surface. This maneuver was the first part of a unique double gravity-assist mission.
More about the first step of humankind’s first lunar-Earth flyby, and @ESA_JUICE's stunning views of the Moon 👇
🔗https://t.co/yC8V5uKZF2 pic.twitter.com/Krix18eAtK— European Space Agency (@esa) August 20, 2024
The second flyby will occur around Earth on Tuesday evening. These flybys are crucial for setting JUICE on course for another gravity-assist encounter with Venus in August 2025.
🔴📹 There's only 30 mins until we go live with images from the Moon sent by our Juice mission…
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Find out why we are coming back to Earth and why it is taking us sooo long to get to Jupiter ➡️ https://t.co/iFz0c9IiAo pic.twitter.com/tmDtHvRtJC
— European Space Agency (@esa) August 19, 2024
The JUICE mission, launched in April 2023, aims to study three of Jupiter’s largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Scientists believe these moons may have oceans of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces. These oceans could potentially support chemical reactions necessary for life. During the lunar flyby, JUICE used its onboard monitoring cameras to capture a series of images.
Our flight dynamics team has analysed @ESA_JUICE's new trajectory following last night's gravity assist at the Moon. Their conclusion? It was a flawless manoeuvre! No fine-tuning or correction is needed before tonight's Earth flyby. 🥳 pic.twitter.com/0lTzzIbbm9
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) August 20, 2024
The European Space Agency shared these raw, unprocessed images with the public via a live webcast.
Lunar flyby milestone for JUICE mission
Some JUICE team members provided commentary during the webcast.
According to Ignacio Tanco, the JUICE spacecraft operations manager, the gravity assists from the Moon and Earth will save significant time and fuel for the mission. The lunar flyby was executed perfectly, and no adjustments were needed before the upcoming Earth flyby. On Tuesday, JUICE will pass within 4,250 miles (6,840 kilometers) of Earth.
The closest approach will occur over the North Pacific Ocean at 5:57 p.m. EDT (2157 GMT). Due to the locations of telemetry-receiving stations, the JUICE team won’t be able to communicate with the probe during this flyby. However, amateur astronomers in Alaska or nearby regions might be able to see the probe through a telescope.
The JUICE mission represents an important milestone in space exploration. Using gravitational assistance, it can explore distant worlds while making the most of resources and travel time. If all goes according to plan, JUICE will arrive at Jupiter in July 2031.
