Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer

JUpiter ICy moons Explorer

Artist's impression of the JUICE spacecraft
Mission type	Planetary science
Operator	ESA
Mission duration	7.6 years cruise; 3.5 years in the Jovian system.
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Airbus Defence and Space
Power	Solar array of about 100 m2 820 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	2022
Rocket	Ariane 5 ECA
Launch site	Guiana Space Centre ELA-3
Jupiter orbiter
Orbital insertion	2030
Ganymede orbiter
Orbital insertion	2033
Instruments GALA GAnymede Laser Altimeter JANUS Jovis, Amorum ac Natorum Undique Scrutator J-MAG JUICE MAGnetometer MAJIS Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer PEP Particle Environment Package PRIDE Planetary Radio Interferometer & Doppler Experiment RIME Radar for Icy Moons Exploration RPWI Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation SWI Sub-millimeter Wave Instrument UVS UV imaging Spectrograph 3GM Gravity & Geophysics of jupiter and Galilean Moons
Cosmic Vision ← SMILE PLATO →

Solar array of about 100 m²

The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) is an interplanetary spacecraft in development by the European Space Agency (ESA) with Airbus Defence and Space as the main contractor. The mission is being developed to visit the Jovian system focused on studying three of Jupiter's Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa (excluding the more volcanically active Io) all of which are thought to have significant bodies of liquid water beneath their surfaces, making them potentially habitable environments. The spacecraft is set for launch in 2022 and would reach Jupiter in 2030. By 2033 the spacecraft should enter orbit around Ganymede for its close up science mission and becoming the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than the moon of earth. The selection of this mission for the L1 launch slot of ESA's Cosmic Vision science programme was announced on 2 May 2012.

The mission started as a reformulation of the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter proposal, which was to be ESA's component of the cancelled Europa Jupiter System Mission—Laplace (EJSM-Laplace). It became a candidate for the first L-class mission (L1) of the ESA Cosmic Vision Programme, and its selection was announced on 2 May 2012. In April 2012 JUICE was recommended over the proposed ATHENA X-ray telescope and a gravitational wave observatory (New Gravitational wave Observatory (NGO)). In July 2015, Airbus Defence and Space was selected as the Prime Contractor to design and build the probe.