Europe is set to embark on its first mission to Jupiter’s icy moons. The mission, named JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer), is scheduled for launch in 2022 and will arrive at its destination in 2029. The spacecraft will spend at least three and a half years studying Jupiter and its four largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io. JUICE will also be the first mission to explore in detail the subsurface oceans of the icy moons, which could potentially harbour life.

In a groundbreaking mission, the European Space Agency (ESA) is sending the JUICE spacecraft to explore the frozen moons of Jupiter. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2022 and will spend three and a half years studying the four largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io. JUICE will be the first mission to explore the subsurface oceans of these icy moons, which could potentially harbour life. The mission is a major milestone for ESA and could open up a new era of exploration of the outer solar system.

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source: Phys.org