Io and inner moons.
While not a primary focus for Juice, the 4th and innermost Galilean moon, Io, is no less interesting, being the most volcanically active item in the Solar System. Io has more than 400 active volcanoes spread across its surface, which release gases, dust, and ionized material into Ios atmosphere. This product is swept up by the magnetic influence of Jupiter and spread out throughout the Jovian system.
Jupiters four largest satellites, consisting of Io, the golden accessory in front of Jupiter in this image from NASAs Cassini spacecraft, have interested Earthlings ever since Galileo Galilei found them in 1610 in among his first huge uses of the telescope. This true-color composite frame, made from narrow-angle images taken on December 12, 2000, records Io and its shadow in transit against the disk of Jupiter. The distance of the spacecraft from Jupiter was 19.5 million kilometers. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
While Juice will not concentrate on exploring Io extensive, the objective will gather details on this Galilean moon, investigating how Io assists form the plasma environment of its planet, defining how and why the moon is so volcanically, tidally, and geologically active, and figuring out the structure of its surface.
Along with the Galilean moons, Juice will observe a number of Jupiters smaller inner moons, which orbit within and pass through the gas giants popular ring system.
These are believed to release dust that replenishes Jupiters rings, although the systems behind this process remain unclear. Juice will investigate the shape, composition, and orbits of Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, and Thebe, to reveal their function within the Jovian system.
… identifying the extent, composition and characteristics of its subsurface ocean, including how water transfers from the deep interior to upper ice shell, and seeking indications of shallow subsurface water tanks;.
… characterizing Ganymedes magnetic field, revealing what drives and keeps the moons internal dynamo, and recognizing the particle groups found around the moon (how are these renewed, and how do they communicate with Ganymede and Jupiter?);.
… checking out how Ganymedes surface features, processes, and topography connect to its subsurface, specifying the thickness and structure of the moons icy crust and mapping its geology, structure, chemistry, and evolution over time.
Juice will make detailed observations of the huge gas world and its three big ocean-bearing moons– Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa– with a suite of instruments. Europa is practically the same size as Earths moon, while Ganymede, the biggest moon in the Solar System, is larger than world Mercury. During its trip of the Jupiter system, Juice will make 12 flybys of Ganymede beginning in July 2031, and will ultimately end up being the first spacecraft to orbit another worlds moon. The spacecraft will explore various essential topics: Ganymedes mysterious magnetic field, its surprise ocean, its complex core, its ice content and shell, its interactions with its regional environment and that of Jupiter, its past and present activity, and whether or not the moon might be a habitable environment.
Jupiters moon Europa is a fascinating world.
… browsing for liquid water under Europas most active sites, from probing the crust (which may be only a couple of km thick in locations) to surveying the depth of the moons subsurface ocean;.
… characterizing the composition and chemistry of its surface area, including browsing for biosignatures and exploring how both internal and external elements (consisting of tectonics, cryovolcanism, and surface area disintegration) have shaped Europas surface area gradually;.
… studying these active sites and processes themselves, revealing their geology, structure, and any present levels of activity.
… exploring its external shell and ocean down to a depth of a couple of kilometers to constrain its interior structure and gravity;.
… defining the composition and chemistry of its surface, particularly any non-water-ice compounds, and determining how Callisto releases product to space;.
… hunting for signs of past activity and figuring out how this connects to both its past advancement and the surface includes we see today (such as Callistos characteristic dark, largely cratered plains, which show indications of special erosion and destruction processes). Juice will image Callisto on both international and regional scales to attain this.
From top to bottom, the moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Europa is nearly the very same size as Earths moon, while Ganymede, the biggest moon in the Solar System, is larger than planet Mercury.
By investigating Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto as a trio, Juice will paint a relative image of the environments of each and shed light on their homes and potential habitability.
Ganymede.
Juices main scientific target will be Ganymede, the biggest moon in the Solar System– bigger even than Pluto and Mercury.
Throughout its trip of the Jupiter system, Juice will make 12 flybys of Ganymede beginning in July 2031, and will ultimately become the very first spacecraft to orbit another planets moon. This video shows Juice performing its very first flyby of Ganymede a couple of hours before Jupiter orbit insertion, with the huge planet visible in the background. Credit: ESA/Lightcurve Films/R. Andres.
It is likewise the only moon in the Solar System to generate its own electromagnetic field. Juice will finish many flybys around Ganymede, and ultimately go into orbit around the moon. The spacecraft will explore different key subjects: Ganymedes strange magnetic field, its surprise ocean, its complex core, its ice content and shell, its interactions with its local environment which of Jupiter, its past and present activity, and whether or not the moon might be a habitable environment.
Ganymede is a specifically exciting target for a variety of factors. It shows a large range of surface area ages and features, providing a geological record covering numerous billions of years; it has an active magnetic dynamo and subsurface ocean; and has a complex and distinct relationship with the space environment around its moms and dad world, Jupiter. Notably, Ganymedes intrinsic electromagnetic field has actually generated a mini magnetic bubble (magnetosphere) sitting within Jupiters larger one, and the 2 engage in extremely intricate and intriguing methods.
Juice will clarify these aspects by …
After arrival in the Jovian system, Juice will perform five Ganymede flybys (2031– 2032) to decrease its orbital energy so that it can effectively explore Jupiter; it will later on move from Jupiter to Ganymede orbit, beginning its examinations of the moon in earnest in late 2034. It will end its objective by clashing with Ganymedes surface in 2035.
Europa.
Juice will complete two flybys of Europa in July 2032, approaching the moon at a closest approach of 400 km. During these close encounters, Juice will explore the geology, surface, subsurface, activity, and environment of the moon, which appears to have a young, active, colorful, and distinctly marked surface area.
A view of Europa developed from images taken by NASAs Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. Jupiters moon Europa is a remarkable world. On its surface, the moon appears to be scratched and scored with reddish-brown scars, which rake across the surface area in a crisscrossing pattern. These scars are engraved into a layer of water ice, which is believed to be at least a number of kilometers thick and covering a large– and possibly habitable– subsurface ocean. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute.
The objective will identify the structure and chemistry of Europas surface area, hunting for compounds that are important to support life ( biosignatures) and identifying the source of the moons material (especially volatiles and hydrated minerals). Europa may vent water vapor to area through plumes and geysers; Juice will look for pockets of water in the moons shallow subsurface utilizing extraordinary ice-penetrating radar, and expose areas where the transfer of material between surface area, subsurface, and area may be specifically intense.
Juice will explore Europa by …
Callisto.
Juice will complete its very first flyby of Callisto in June 2032; the spacecraft will finish an overall of 21 flybys of this moon from 2032– 2034 (both to explore the moon and to change the energy and orientation of Juices orbit), coming as close as 200 km from Callisto at nearest technique.
Throughout its trip of the Jupiter system Juice will carry out an overall of 21 flybys of Callisto, an ancient, cratered world that may harbor a subsurface ocean. Some of the Callisto flybys will likewise alter the angle of Juices orbit with respect to Jupiters equator, making it possible to examine the huge planets polar regions and environment at greater latitudes.
Previous observations from NASAs Galileo mission suggest that Callisto has at least partial internal layers; nevertheless, its surface is extremely old and appears not to have been geologically active for a billion years or so, therefore it is uncertain if the moon has any continuous internal characteristics. Despite this Callisto appears to have an electromagnetic field that is not created internally, like that at Ganymede, however is instead produced either by a large liquid reservoir hiding listed below its icy shell, or due to interactions in Callistos ionized upper atmosphere.
Callisto is likewise the least geologically evolved Galilean satellite, and therefore uses an unique glance into the environment around early Jupiter. As the moon does not appear to have developed much over time, it stands to reveal distinct details about how it initially formed, and about the origin of the wider Jupiter system.
Juice will investigate Callisto as a remnant of the early Jovian system by …
Juice will make in-depth observations of the huge gas world and its three big ocean-bearing moons– Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa– with a suite of instruments. By making flybys of these moons at distances of just a few hundred kilometers, and even going into orbit around Ganymede, Juice will identify them as both possible environments and planetary objects.
ESAs Juice objective will check out Jupiter and its appealing Galilean moons– Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto– to study their covert oceans, electromagnetic fields, and surface area functions, ultimately orbiting Ganymede to investigate their prospective habitability and homes.
ESAs JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (Juice) will invest years in the Jovian system checking out the gas giant Jupiter, its area environment, and its intriguing satellites. Juice will pay specific attention to 3 of Jupiters Galilean moons: Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto.
These three moons are believed to harbor covert oceans beneath their surface areas, making them prime targets in our expedition of whether, how and where life might develop in different environments across the cosmos. Juices tour of Jupiter will consist of multiple flybys of these ocean-bearing moons, before culminating in orbit insertion around Ganymede– the very first time a spacecraft will have orbited a moon in the outer Solar System.