First Photos from ESA's JUICE As It Performed Never-Before-Attempted Gravity Maneuver

ESA's JUICE Mission

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is a planned spacecraft mission to the Jovian system. The mission is scheduled to launch in April 2023 and arrive at Jupiter in July 2031. JUICE will spend three years orbiting Jupiter and its moons, studying the planet's atmosphere, magnetosphere, and interior, as well as the moons Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto.

Never-Before-Attempted Gravity Maneuver

On August 19, 2024, JUICE performed a never-before-attempted gravity maneuver. The spacecraft flew by the Moon at a distance of just 354 kilometers, using the Moon's gravity to slingshot itself towards Earth. This maneuver was the first time a spacecraft has ever flown by the Moon at such a close distance.

The gravity maneuver was a success, and JUICE is now on its way to Earth. The spacecraft will fly by Earth on September 2, 2024, before continuing on its journey to Jupiter.

First Photos from JUICE

During its flyby of the Moon, JUICE's onboard monitoring cameras captured the first-ever images of the Moon in such raw black and white at a resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels.

The images show the Moon's surface in great detail, including craters, mountains, and valleys. The images will be used to create a detailed map of the Moon's surface.

Conclusion

The successful gravity maneuver and the first images from JUICE are a major milestone for the mission. The mission is now on track to arrive at Jupiter in 2031 and begin its exploration of the Jovian system.