In a groundbreaking move, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Juice mission, en route to Jupiter, is gearing up for an extraordinary maneuver – the first-ever gravity assist flyby around both Earth and the moon. This innovative approach aims to leverage the gravitational forces of both celestial bodies to propel the spacecraft on its trajectory to the gas giant.
On November 17, the Juice spacecraft executed a 43-minute-long maneuver, expending 10% of its fuel to align itself for the upcoming encounter with Earth and the moon in 2024. This marks a crucial step in the mission, as it sets the stage for the spacecraft’s unique journey through space.
Julia Schwartz, Flight Dynamics Engineer at ESA’s ESOC mission control center, explained, “It was the first part of a two-part maneuver to put Juice on the correct trajectory for next summer’s encounter with Earth and the Moon. This first burn did 95% of the work, changing Juice’s velocity by almost 200 m/s.”
Juice, one of the heaviest interplanetary spacecraft ever launched with a total mass of around 6000 kg, required significant force and fuel for this maneuver. The second part of the maneuver, scheduled in the coming weeks, will fine-tune the spacecraft’s trajectory, addressing any inaccuracies from the initial burn.
The strategic use of Earth and moon gravity assists is a novel approach, optimizing the efficiency of the spacecraft’s journey. The hope is that, after the second part of the maneuver, Juice won’t need to utilize its main engine until it reaches Jupiter’s orbit. Precise adjustments along the way will be managed by smaller thrusters, ensuring a more economical use of fuel.
Following the Earth-moon flyby, Juice’s trajectory involves additional flybys of Earth and Venus, gradually increasing its energy to escape the sun’s gravity and set its course toward Jupiter. The spacecraft is expected to reach Jupiter in 2031, and enthusiasts can track its progress on the “Where is Juice now?” webpage.
This mission not only showcases the innovative engineering and planning by ESA but also highlights the continuous exploration of unconventional methods to navigate through the vastness of space.
