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Updated April 11th, 2023 at 16:26 IST

ESA to launch JUICE mission to Jupiter on April 13; Where to watch the event LIVE?

ESA is gearing up for its next big mission which is launching the JUICE spacecraft to Jupiter and explore the gas giant's ocean-bearing Moons.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
ESA
The £1.4 billion mission is designed to explore the icy Moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa; Image: ESA | Image:self
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The European Space Agency (ESA) is gearing up for its next big mission which is launching the JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) spacecraft to Jupiter. Designed to investigate the gas giant's oceanic Moons, the spacecraft is targeted for launch at 5:45 pm IST aboard the Ariane 5 rocket on April 13, says ESA. If the weather does not play villain, the JUICE mission will begin its 8-year-long journey before it begins its planetary exploration. 

Where to watch the JUICE mission launch?

The ESA will begin the live broadcast of the mission launch at 5:15 pm across all social media platforms. You can tune in to ESA's official YouTube channel, its official website or other Twitter to watch the launch live. You can also tune in to NASA's social media handles to watch the live webcast. 

About JUICE and its explorations

The £1.4 billion mission is designed to explore the icy Moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa which bear oceans under their crust. JUICE will also characterise Jupiter to extract new details about the gas giant and its extreme climate. The spacecraft, during its 600 million km long journey will conduct flybys around Venus, Earth and the Moon for "gravity assists" that would slingshot it toward Jupiter in a fuel-efficient manner. 

The spacecraft is also equipped with massive solar panels (85 square metres) to ensure continuous power supply since sunlight is 25 times weaker at the Jupiter system than on Earth. The purpose of this ambitious mission is to find out if the three Moons of Jupiter ever had or still have conditions that could harbour (microbial) life. These three moons are perfect candidates for this research as water is considered the fundamental element where life could thrive. 

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Published April 11th, 2023 at 16:26 IST

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