More than a decade after the mission was announced, JUICE is finally ready for its much-anticipated journey to Jupiter. Packed with 10 instruments, it’s one of the most advanced probes ever sent to the outer solar system. Here’s your guide to the European Space Agency’s historic mission, set to launch on April 13.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been exploring Jupiter for the past seven years, but the mission is set to expire in 2025. The space agency’s Lucy probe is currently en route to Jupiter’s orbit, but it won’t investigate the gas giant and will instead focus on the Trojan asteroids. As a result, there’s going to be a gap when it comes to our on-the-scene investigations of Jupiter and its intriguing moons, but NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’s JUICE will soon be on their way, the latter probe launching next week.
