Jupiter

ESA’s Juice Spacecraft Uses Earth Flyby to Gain Speed on Jupiter Mission

The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, has completed a precision Earth flyby that altered its trajectory by about 20 degrees and added roughly 3.5 kilometres per second to its speed. The manoeuvre is a critical navigation milestone on the long route to Jupiter, demonstrating how gravity-assist physics can conserve fuel while enabling deep-space exploration. The pass also underscores the operational complexity of interplanetary missions, where timing, orbital geometry and atmospheric constraints must align with extreme precision. For Europe’s flagship outer-planet mission, the successful flyby keeps Juice on course for a science campaign focused on Jupiter and its potentially ocean-bearing moons.