JUICE spacecraft set to pass by the Moon and Earth on this date, to reach Jupiter in 2032

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer [JUICE] spacecraft by the European Space Agency, which took off in April 2023, is set to pass by the Moon and the Earth in the coming month of August 20, 2024, on the way to its journey to Jupiter.

JUICE spacecraft to pass by the Earth and Moon in August 2024.

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer [JUICE], a spacecraft of the European Space Agency which took off in April 2023, is about to pass by the Moon and the Earth in the coming month on August 20, 2024 on the way to reach the largest planet, Jupiter. The spacecraft has been sent to study and make observations about the three moons of Jupiter, namely Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. The JUICE spacecraft is set to make its nearest approach to Earth within a distance of 4200 miles or 6,800 kilometers at 5:57 pm ET. 

Mission of JUICE spacecraft

Presently, the spacecraft is 10 kilometers away from the Earth. It will utilize the gravitational pull of the Earth and the Moon to preserve the fuel required for the expedition to the gas planet. This journey will continue for a period of about 8 years. The mission has been taken over to explore the three moons. Jupiter's moons are considered to contain noteworthy elements of liquid water under their iced surfaces, possibly having extraterrestrial life. 

It is speculated that the JUICE spacecraft will land on Jupiter in July 2031. It is taking a longer path as the JUICE spacecraft has not been developed to reach Jupiter because its rocket is not efficient enough to take off to 800 kilometers directly. 

 

JUICE spacecraft to take support from cosmic bodies for gravity

JUICE spacecraft became the first spacecraft to take the support of the Moon and Earth for gravity. This accelerated its journey to reach Jupiter. 

This move was thought of by the team working at ESA's space operations center in Darmstadt, Germany.  Arnaud Boutonnet, head of analysis for the mission, ESA said "The only solution is to use gravitational assists."

Scientists have calculated that JUICE's speed increases with the help of the gravitational force of the Moon by around 3.3 kilometers every second. It remains at 3 kilometers without the Moon's support. 

When the spacecraft is closer to Earth, it will be clicking photos, testing its instruments and making observations. As per Boutonnet, when the spacecraft is taking off from the Moon, Earth's gravity may affect it, putting JUICE in a dangerous position.

 

The team of scientists on Earth will be in charge of calculating the path taken by JUICE to protect it against dangers. JUICE is set to get support from Venus in 2025, and it will pass by Earth in 2026 and in 2029. 

As per Boutonnet, JUICE is going to take gravitational support from cosmic elements 35 times during the period of its interstellar discovery. ESA's JUICE is going to have a closer encounter with Earth soon before setting out for its voyage to Jupiter.