ESA postpones launch of JUICE mission because of bad weather
What's the story
European Space Agency (ESA) has postponed the JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission due to unfavorable weather conditions. The decision to call off came less than 10 minutes before the scheduled lift-off.
Citing the risk of a lightning strike, the agency is now looking to launch the important mission on April 14.
The JUICE mission is set to probe Jupiter and its three moons.
Twitter Post
The launch vehicle and JUICE spacecraft are in safe condition
Today’s Flight #VA260 has been delayed due to weather condition (risk of lightning) at the scheduled liftoff time from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
— Arianespace (@Arianespace) April 13, 2023
The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and its passenger JUICE are in stable and safe condition.
Launch
The mission will launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket
ESA is now looking to launch the JUICE mission at 5:44pm IST on April 14.
The mission will launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, which is the same type of rocket that was used to launch the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021.
It will take off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America.
Mission
What is the mission about?
The JUICE mission will study closely three of Jupiter's moons—Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede.
The spacecraft will fly past the three Jovian moons in a looping orbit and will gather data while keeping away from the planet's dangerous radiation belt.
The mission will look for magnetic signals and other clues which can confirm the size and evidence of subsurface oceans present on the Jovian moons.
Timeline
When will the mission reach Jupiter?
JUICE will take about eight years to reach Jupiter and will rely on gravitational assists past Venus, Mars, and Earth to enter Jupiter's orbit.
The spacecraft is expected to reach Jupiter in December 2031 and will spend three years orbiting the planet. It will make close flybys of three of the Jovian moons in a phased manner.
Ganymede
What makes Ganymede an interesting target?
JUICE's main objective would be to study Ganymede, which is even larger than Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system.
Interestingly, it is the only known moon in the solar system to have its own magnetic field. It might even possess a liquid iron core like the Earth.
JUICE is expected to orbit this Jovian moon in December 2034.
Implications
JUICE will closely study Ganymede's surface oceans
JUICE is equipped to provide detailed views of Ganymede and will be the first spacecraft to orbit a moon in the outer solar system.
Starting at approximately 4,990 kilometers above the moon's surface, the spacecraft will be brought to about 480 kilometers in 2035, and even lower if there is sufficient fuel.
It will also determine the salt content of the subsurface oceans.
Information
Habitability requires liquid water, heat source, and organic materials
"For habitability, you need liquid water, a heat source, and organic materials," said Michele Dougherty from Imperial College London. "If we confirm or deny those three things, we've done what we said we were going to do."
Europa
Europa is thought to host life in its oceans
In the hunt for extraterrestrial life, the Jovian moon that might make the most promising target will be Europa.
Researchers believe that the ocean on the moon is in direct contact with a rocky floor, which could serve as a source of food and energy for life owing to the hydrothermal vents which burst upward.
The JUICE mission will perform two flybys of Europa.
Callisto
JUICE will perform 21 flybys of Callisto
Coming to Callisto, it is the second largest of Jupiter's moons but is not thought to host life in its oceans.
The moon's surface is old and crater-ridden. It also appears to lack a solid core which could provide an ocean with the nutrients required to support life.
The JUICE spacecraft is planned to perform 21 flybys of Callisto.