A SPACECRAFT heads for Jupiter today to find whether the planet’s icy moons can support life.
The six-tonne probe, called Juice, is set to launch at 12.14pm UK time this afternoon in what will be the European Space Agency’s biggest deep-space venture yet.
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It will lift off on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, after being delayed on Thursday by the threat of lightning.
Justin Byrne, head of science for Airbus and the mission’s lead contractor, said: “After more than 10 years developing this pioneering spacecraft, we’re all going to be crossing our fingers that things go smoothly and that this amazing mission will finally be on its way.”
Due to the intricacies of the trajectory it only has a precise one second window to take off.
After lift-off, Juice will separate from the rocket about half an hour later. Then it will embark on a 4.1 billion-mile journey that will take more than eight years.
It will carry 10 scientific instruments to study three of the planet’s four main moons: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in close flybys.
In December 2034 it will attempt to change paths to orbit Ganymede – making it the first spacecraft in history to orbit a moon other than the Earth’s own.
Dr Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency, said: “The launch of Juice marks years of hard work and collaboration by scientists, engineers and space agencies all over the world, but the journey is far from over.
“We look forward to following the spacecraft as it makes its eight-year trip to Jupiter and then as it studies the planet and its moons, using specialised UK-developed science instruments.
“We have a large community of research experts in the UK who are eagerly awaiting the data that Juice will provide.
“With this information we hope to discover more about the nature of gas giants in space, and their icy moons, bringing us another step closer to understanding the evolution of the universe.”
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