The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), successfully launched on April 14, 2023, from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. This launch marks a significant milestone as it is Europe’s first mission dedicated to exploring Jupiter and its largest icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa, all believed to harbor subsurface oceans that may support life. Following its launch, JUICE established a signal with ground control and deployed its solar arrays, setting the stage for an ambitious eight-year journey to the Jovian system, where it will conduct extensive scientific observations and ultimately enter orbit around Ganymede in 2034.
