Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer which aims to study 3 Galilean moons in an attempt to understand their internal structure.
The first measurements around Jupiter's moons were received from the Galileo mission. Galileo was launched by NASA in October 1989 and provided data from 1996 to 2003. Based on the data from the spacecraft, scientists believe that Europa, Callisto and Ganymede might have a subsurface ocean. Ganymede even has its own magnetic field while Io has active volcanoes. The data from the upcoming JUICE mission will provide further evidences to better constrain the interior of these natural satellites.
The JUICE mission is scheduled to launch on 13th April from French Guiana. It will carry 10 scientific instruments focused on understanding the Jovian magnetosphere and its interaction with the satellites. The spacecraft will revolve around Jupiter and is expected to make a total of 35 flybys providing data near the moons. During the final phase of the mission, JUICE will also orbit around Ganymede, which will give a clearer picture about its internal magnetic field.
Image Credit: ESA (Jupiter with its 4 Galilean moons- Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto).
If you are interested to know more, ask us in the comments or on our social media platforms (top left of page). You can also visit ESA's website about the JUICE mission here.
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