The search for potentially habitable conditions is key
Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are all suspected of containing subsurface oceans capped in an icy crust. JUICE will evaluate the trio for potential signs of habitability, given the assumed presence of liquid water. Indeed, and as ESA makes clear, the overarching question of the mission is whether gas giants can harbor habitable conditions and spawn primitive life. In addition to its astrobiological duties, JUICE will seek to answer questions about planetary formation and the solar system in general. More conceptually, the spacecraft will evaluate the “wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe,” according to ESA.
