Juice Earth flyby. The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that the Juice probe will make a close pass by Earth on its way to the Jovian system. This maneuver is designed to alter the spacecraft’s velocity and direction using our planet’s gravitational pull, thereby reducing fuel consumption needed to reach its final destination.

The minimum expected distance between Juice and the Earth’s surface will be approximately 8,640 kilometers, over the Indian Ocean. ESA estimates that this encounter will deflect the probe’s trajectory by about 20 degrees and increase its speed by roughly 3.5 kilometers per second.

Juice Earth flyby: why it matters

The Juice mission launched in 2023 and has already completed close flybys of both the Moon and Earth during 2024. Subsequently, the probe will head toward Venus in 2025 for a new orbital correction.

Each encounter with a celestial body allows for route optimization without relying exclusively on engines. The close pass by Earth not only serves to efficiently adjust the probe’s trajectory but also provides an opportunity to test scientific instruments intended for studying Jupiter’s moons.

A further Earth flyby is scheduled for 2029, which will represent the last such stop before arrival in the Jovian system, planned for 2031. This long trajectory allows for propellant savings, essential for scientific operations, including orbital insertion and maneuvers between the moons.

During the close pass, the probe will capture images of Earth and measurements of its magnetic field. Claire Vallat, the mission’s lead scientist, explained that this freedom of orientation will enable more diverse observations during the flyby.

What changes and what are the effects

Juice will use its navigation camera to capture the lunar horizon and test a technique to improve optical orientation. The two monitoring cameras will acquire images during the pass, providing useful data to prepare instruments for future observations in the Jovian system.

Once it reaches its destination, Juice will study Jupiter and its icy moons Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede. The program includes 35 moon flybys, with particular attention to hidden oceans beneath the surface and Ganymede’s magnetic field, to reconstruct the lunar environment and physical conditions of their oceans.

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