Our Earth is an ocean world. No other planet has an ocean. However, scientists say Jupiter’s moons may have oceans. A mission is on the way to find out. JUICE is headed to Jupiter — and its moons.
JUICE stands for “JUpiter ICy moons Explorer.” The spacecraft launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on April 14. It is now on a long journey to Jupiter. JUICE should get to the gas giant in 2031. Then its work will begin.
The big spacecraft will fly near three of Jupiter’s moons. They are Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. Then it will begin to fly around Ganymede. It will be the first spacecraft to orbit a moon (other than Earth’s moon)!
No one is on JUICE. But the spacecraft has 10 instruments. One is radar. That can look through the thick icy crust of the moons. Ines Belgacem is working on the JUICE mission. “I’m very excited to see what the radar will see,” the scientist explained. Belgacem wondered “if we’ll water close to the surface of Europa.”
Ganymede is a huge moon. As JUICE Ganymede, it will map the surface. “Ganymede is unique,” added Belgacem. What makes the moon so different? “It’s the only one with its own magnetic field!” she said. “We’re not sure why.” JUICE may help solve that mystery.
“I can’t tell what we will discover,” admitted Belgacem. “But we will try to gain a better understanding of these moons,” she explained. That includes how deep the oceans are.
There’s a big reason why scientists want to study icy moons. After all, water is key for life. Some people even wonder whether life could exist on Europa. JUICE won’t be able to tell. However, Belgacem said “it will help us better understand ocean worlds.”
Emma Bunce is a scientist for JUICE. She hopes kids want to learn more about it. “We need young people to be interested in JUICE,” she said. “We will be waiting 8 years,” Bunce explained. “So, the people who will be studying JUICE are in school now!”
Updated April 14, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
