Ariane 5 launches JUICE space probe for ESA
14.04.2023
Jupiter icy moons explorer is now on the way to the giant gas planet
On April 14, 2023, an Ariane 5 launcher successfully lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the European Space Agency (ESA) JUICE space probe. The JUICE mission will study Jupiter and its icy moons.
Europe’s Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher, for which ArianeGroup is the lead contractor, once again demonstrated its exceptional reliability.
The JUICE spacecraft will carry out Europe’s first mission to Jupiter. It will arrive in the Jupiter system in 2031 and spend at least three years making detailed observations of three of the planet’s icy moons: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. JUICE will study the moons as potential habitats for life, addressing key questions: what are the conditions for planet formation and the emergence of life, and how does the solar system work?
JUICE builds on scientific and technological heritage from previous planetary science missions and will pave the way for future exploration of the outer solar system.
The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher is a European Space Agency program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry across 12 European partner countries.