Launched in April 2023, ESA’s JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) spacecraft will reach the Jovian system in 2031. To get there without carrying too much fuel, it relies on gravity assists, using planetary flybys to adjust its speed and trajectory. JUICE will study Jupiter, its atmosphere, magnetosphere and moons, particularly Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.
Earth is therefore part of the journey ! On 28 September 2026, JUICE flew past our planet once again, using its gravity to continue on its way. Shortly after its closest approach, one of the spacecraft’s monitoring cameras captured this spectacular view of Earth, showing much of Africa and Madagascar. A remarkable image from a camera originally designed to monitor the spacecraft’s equipment !
LIRA contributes to three experiments in JUICE’s scientific payload : the MAJIS infrared spectrometer, the RPWI Radio and Plasma Wave Investigation, and the SWI submillimetre-wave spectrometer. Together, these instruments will help investigate the atmospheres, surfaces and plasma environments of the Jovian system.
