Between August 19 and 20 2024 ESA-AIRBUS JUICE Spacecraft will perform a mission critical step: an Earth-Moon flyby before directing towards its final destination, Jupiter and its Icy Moons.
The flyby involves a complex lunar-Earth double gravity assist to slow JUICE and adjust its trajectory for its journey to Venus.
This maneuver is critical for JUICE to align its path toward Jupiter, enabling the spacecraft to reach the correct orbit.
Precise navigation is crucial, as any error during this flyby could jeopardize the entire mission.
The mission is particularly focused on Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, which is unique in the solar system for having its magnetic field. Juice will orbit Ganymede, making it the first spacecraft to do so around a moon other than Earth's. The spacecraft will also make multiple flybys of Europa and Callisto, gathering data that will help scientists better understand the geological processes at work on these icy worlds.
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