ESA’s Juice Mission: Upcoming Earth Flyby
Date: 21/09/2026
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Mission Overview
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is set to return to Earth on 28 September 2026. This maneuver will adjust its trajectory and speed for its mission towards Jupiter.
Journey Highlights
- Launch Date: April 2023
- Launch Site: Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana
- Key Maneuvers:
- First-ever lunar-Earth flyby for acceleration.
- A Venus flyby for an orbital adjustment.
Juice will make two Earth flybys to optimize its path to Jupiter, with the next close approach at 8640 km.
Upcoming Flyby Details
- Closest Approach: Indian Ocean, 28 September at 13:45 CEST
- Trajectory Change: Approximately 20 degrees, speed increase of 3.5 km/s
- Visibility: Amateurs in Australia might catch a glimpse through telescopes.
Scientific Operations
Juice’s instruments will be operational to collect valuable scientific data during the flyby. It will monitor:
- Earth’s magnetic field.
- Calibration for future observations at Jupiter and its moons.
Navigation Strategy
A series of navigational maneuvers are planned to ensure optimal trajectory, including:
- Corrections scheduled prior to Earth’s shadow phase (from 21:24 CEST, 27 September, to 06:03 CEST, 28 September) where the spacecraft will rely solely on battery power.
About Juice
Juice aims to study Jupiter and its moons — Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa — as potential habitats for life. It will perform:
- 35 flybys of the moons.
- A deep investigation into Jupiter’s complex environment.
Juice exemplifies international collaboration with contributions from NASA, JAXA, and the Israel Space Agency.
Follow ESA’s Journey: @science.esa.int on Bluesky
More Information: ESA Media Relations
