ESA JUICE launch: what is European Space Agency’s Jupiter mission - how to watch live stream back

The European Space Agency’s JUICE half a billion mile mission to Jupiter began with a successful launch today
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The European space exploration mission to Jupiter launched today (14 April) after the first launch attempt yesterday was called off over weather concerns. The JUICE spacecraft, connected to an Ariane 5 rocket launched from South America this afternoon and sent a signal back to Earth shortly after embarking on its long journey.

The mission is expected to help scientists learn more about our solar system as the probe explores Jupiter and its moons. With more than a decade spent planning the mission, yesterday's postponement must have been agonising for the brains behind it, but today's successful liftoff will more than make up for it.

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Space buffs and scientists around the world will have had their eyes on the launch pad as the historic event was livestreamed internationally. This is everything you need to know about the ESA JUICE mission and its successful launch:

What is the ESA JUICE mission?

The JUICE mission will be Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, although it won’t arrive at the gas giant for several years. 

The mission launched from Kourou, French Guiana on the east coast of South America - the 760 ton Ariane 5 rocket carrying the JUICE spacecraft lifted off on 14 April, commencing Europe’s first Jupiter mission.

An Ariane 5 rocket takes off from Kourou in 2022An Ariane 5 rocket takes off from Kourou in 2022
An Ariane 5 rocket takes off from Kourou in 2022

The JUICE craft, which itself weighs a hefty six tonnes, will perform several flybys of Earth and Venus between 2024 and 2029 and is expected to arrive at Jupiter, more than 550 million miles from Earth, in mid 2031.

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This may sound like a huge distance, but in space terms it’s actually quite a small step - the distance from Earth to Jupiter measured in lightyears is just 0.000094163. Conversely, the James Webb Space Telescope can look to a distance of 13.6 billion light years.

The JUICE craft is due to perform 35 flybys of Jupiter’s moons - Europa, Ganymede and Callisto before entering orbit around Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, around 2033.

The purpose of the long mission is to study the Jupiter system as a blueprint for gas giants to learn more about these types of planets, JUICE will also become the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than Earth’s.

The JUICE probe cost €1.6 billion to buildThe JUICE probe cost €1.6 billion to build
The JUICE probe cost €1.6 billion to build

How much does the JUICE mission cost?

As with all things in space exploration, the JUICE mission is a costly endeavour. The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched more than 100 Ariane 5 rockets so far, at a cost of €150–200 million per launch, but that’s just a fraction of the mission cost.

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The JUICE craft cost around €1.6 billion to build, a big chunk of this was devoted to creating solar cells that could operate in the very dark conditions around Jupiter, which is many times further from the Sun than Earth. Roughly €600 million of the build cost was spent on 10 high tech pieces of equipment for the probe, including a special camera, spectrometer, and a magnetometer designed to measure the magnetic fields of Jupiter and its moons. 

What does JUICE stand for?

JUICE stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, and the craft is what it says on the tin - as its primary mission is to explore Jupiter’s icy moons.

Why was the JUICE mission delayed?

The JUICE mission was postponed just minutes before the initial rocket launch on Thursday. Following weather checks, the ESA determined that the rocket should not launch because of the risk of lightning. An ESA spokesperson said: "We are going to halt the launch operations for now, for today due to weather conditions. This is out of control, but it also reminds you that we do not take any risks when it comes to launching a satellite into space."

Was the JUICE mission launch successful?

After a 24-hour delay, the JUICE probe was successfully launched - liftoff occurred just after 1.30pm today - JUICE successfully separated from the Ariane 5 rocket and at 2.06pm, the probe sent a signal back to Earth, indicating the spacecraft is was functioning properly. The probe has now begun its eight-year journey to Jupiter.

How can you watch the JUICE launch live stream?

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The JUICE mission launch is now due to begin at 1.14pm UK time on Friday 14 April, and you can watch it on the  European Space Agency YouTube channel and on ESA Web TV, which is free to watch online. Pre-launch coverage will begin at 12.45pm UK time. Once again, the launch will depend on the results of last minute safety checks.

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