Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer

The Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) is a planned European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft to visit the Jovian system, focused in particular on studying three of Jupiter's Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa (excluding the more volcanically-active Io).^[1] It will characterise these three worlds, all of which are thought to have significant bodies of liquid water beneath their surfaces, making them potentially habitable environments. The selection of this mission for the L1 launch slot of ESA's Cosmic Vision science programme was announced on May 2, 2012.^[2]

History

The mission started as a reformulation of the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter proposal, which was to be ESA's component of the former Europa Jupiter System Mission - Laplace (EJSM-Laplace).^[3] It became a candidate to become the first L-class mission (L1) of the ESA Cosmic Vision Programme, and its selection was announced on May 2, 2012.^[2] In April 2012 JUICE was recommended over the proposed ATHENA X-ray telescope and a gravitational wave observatory (New Gravitational wave Observatory (NGO)).^[4][5]

Plan

A proposed timeline is launch in 2022 on an Ariane 5 carrier rocket and arrival at the Jupiter system in 2030.^[1] By 2033 the spacecraft should enter orbit around Ganymede, after completing various manoeuvres around Jupiter and the other moons.^[1] Proposed instruments included cameras, spectrometers, and an ice-penetrating radar.^[1][6]

Science objectives

Section of Europa's mysterious surface

The Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) would perform detailed investigations on Ganymede as a planetary body and evaluate its potential to support life. Investigations of Europa and Callisto would complete a comparative picture of these Galilean moons.^[7] The three moons are believed to harbour internal liquid-water oceans, and so are central to understanding the habitability of icy worlds.

The main science objectives for Ganymede, and to a lesser extent for Callisto, are:^[7]

• Characterisation of the ocean layers and detection of putative subsurface water reservoirs;
• Topographical, geological and compositional mapping of the surface;
• Study of the physical properties of the icy crusts;
• Characterisation of the internal mass distribution, dynamics and evolution of the interiors;
• Investigation of Ganymede's tenuous atmosphere;
• Study of Ganymede's intrinsic magnetic field and its interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere.

For Europa, the focus is on the chemistry essential to life, including organic molecules, and on understanding the formation of surface features and the composition of the non-water-ice material. Furthermore, JUICE will provide the first subsurface sounding of the moon, including the first determination of the minimal thickness of the icy crust over the most recently active regions.

Spacecraft

The main spacecraft design drivers are related to the large distance to the Sun, the use of solar power generation, and Jupiter's harsh radiation environment. The orbit insertions at Jupiter and Ganymede and the large number of flyby manoeuvres (more than 25 gravity assists, and two Europa flybys) requires the spacecraft to carry about 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) of chemical propellant.^[8]

Gravity assists include:^[9]

• Interplanetary transfer (Earth, Venus, Earth, Earth)
• Jupiter orbit insertion and apocentre reduction with multiple Ganymede gravity assists
• Reduction of velocity with Ganymede–Callisto assists
• Increase inclination with 10–12 Callisto gravity assists

Ganymede Lander

The Russian Space Research Institute is currently evaluating the Ganymede Lander (GL) mission, with emphasis in astrobiology.^[10] Cooperation and a possible synergy with JUICE Ganymede orbital mission is being discussed between ESA and Roscosmos.^[10][11] See also Ganymede mission concepts

Scientific payload

On 21 February 2013, after a fierce competition, 11 instruments were selected by ESA, which will be developed by scientific and engineering teams from all over Europe, with participation from the USA and Japan:^{[12][13][14][15]}

Targets

• 

  Ganymede (flybys + orbit)

• 

  Callisto (multiple flybys)

• 

  Europa (two flybys)

See also

• Exploration of Jupiter
• Galileo—former Jupiter orbiter
• Juno—en-route Jupiter orbiter
• Jupiter flybys: Pioneer 10/11; Voyager 1/2; Ulysses; Cassini–Huygens; New Horizons
• Moons of Jupiter

References

External links

• ESA's JUICE page
• Future Planetary Exploration JUICE—Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter Revised Proposal
• Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (2011) (OPAG October 2011 Presentations)
• JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) (OPAG March 2012 Presentations)

Spacecraft missions to Jupiter Orbiters Galileo Juno (en route) Descent probes Galileo Probe Flybys Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Ulysses Cassini–Huygens New Horizons Planned missions Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (2022) Proposed flybys Argo New Horizons 2 Innovative Interstellar Explorer Uranus Orbiter Proposed missions Europa Clipper Europa Jupiter System Mission-Laplace Jupiter Europa Orbiter Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter Europa Lander Io Volcano Observer Cancelled / Concepts Europa Orbiter Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Neptune Orbiter Jovian Europa Orbiter Pioneer H Tsiolkovsky mission Related topics Deep Space Network Exploration of Io Moons of Jupiter Italics indicates active missions, even if they passed Jupiter already.