A European spacecraft is rocketed away on a decade-long quest to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could have buried oceans
JUICE will focus on Ganymede, the Solar System's largest moon and the only one that has its own magnetic field, which protects it from radiation.
But there were some tense minutes later as controllers waited for signals from the spacecraft nearly an hour into the flight. The three ice-encrusted moons are believed to harbour underground oceans, where sea life could exist. But learning more about the moons and their potential seas will bring scientists closer to answering the is-there-life-elsewhere question. "That will be really the most interesting aspect of the mission," he said.It will swoop within 125 miles of Callisto and 250 miles of Europa and Ganymede, completing 35 flybys while circling Jupiter. Then it will hit the brakes to orbit Ganymede, the primary target of the 1.6 billion-euro mission .
“The ocean worlds in our solar system are the most likely to have possible life, so these large moons of Jupiter are prime candidates to search,” said Sheppard, a moon hunter who’s helped discover well over 100 in the outer solar system.The spacecraft, about the size of a small bus, won't reach Jupiter until 2031, relying on gravity-assist flybys of Earth and our moon, as well as Venus.
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
European spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter and its icy moonsA European spacecraft has blasted off on a quest to explore Jupiter and three of its ice-encrusted moons. Dubbed Juice, the robotic explorer set off on an eight-year journey Friday from French Guiana in South America, launching atop an Ariane rocket. Juice is taking a long, roundabout route. It should reach Jupiter in 2031 and spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Then it will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede, our solar system's largest moon. The three moons are believed to harbor underground oceans, where sea life could exist. If underground seas are confirmed, ice picks and a submarine could be next up.
Weiterlesen »
European spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter and its icy moonsThe journey began with a morning liftoff by Europe’s Ariane rocket from French Guiana in South America.
Weiterlesen »
European spacecraft on way to Jupiter and its icy moonsA European spacecraft has blasted off on a quest to explore Jupiter and three of its ice-encrusted moons. Dubbed Juice, the robotic explorer set off on an eight-year journey Friday from French Guiana in South America, launching atop an Ariane rocket. Juice is taking a long, roundabout route. It should reach Jupiter in 2031 and spend three years buzzing Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Then it will attempt to enter orbit around Ganymede, our solar system's largest moon. The three moons are believed to harbor underground oceans, where sea life could exist. If underground seas are confirmed, ice picks and a submarine could be next up.
Weiterlesen »
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission: How To Follow the Juice Launch LiveESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission, Juice, is planned for launch at 8:15 a.m. EDT (13:15 BST/14:15 CEST) on April 13 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Here’s how to follow the key milestones online. (All time in EDT.) Watch live from 7:45 a.m. on April 13. Tune into ESA Web TV dir
Weiterlesen »
What JUICE is hoping to learn about Jupiter's icy moons | Digital TrendsTomorrow sees the launch of the JUICE spacecraft, which will travel to the Jupiter system to investigate whether the moons there could be potentially habitable.
Weiterlesen »