Space
Juice space probe will use gravitational force to bounce on its way to Jupiter
The Juice space probe is preparing for a risky and unprecedented maneuver next month, using the gravitational pull of the Earth and the Moon to make a huge leap towards its target, the planet Jupiter.
The European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft was launched in April 2023 with the mission to discover whether Jupiter's icy moons, Europa and Ganymede, are capable of harboring extraterrestrial life in their vast hidden oceans.
According to its complex navigation chart, Juice is expected to fly back to the Moon and then to Earth on August 19, at 21:00 GMT (18:00 Brasília time).
The gravitational pull of our planet and the satellite will cause the spacecraft to bounce and save fuel on its tortuous eight-year journey to Jupiter.