At a cost of 1.6 billion euros, the first European mission to Jupiter will last 8 years

The European Space Agency is preparing to launch its space probe "Joss" on a journey to Jupiter that will last for eight years. The probe, which has a total cost of 1.6 billion euros, is the first European mission to enter the outer solar system that begins after Mars.

Thursday, the European Space Agency launches its space probe, "Juice", on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, in an effort to find out if there are environments suitable for life on the giant planet of the solar system, and on its icy moons.

The "Ariane 5" rocket is scheduled to take off from Kourou base in French Guiana on Thursday on its penultimate flight - it will be replaced by "Ariane 6" - carrying the probe whose name consists of the initials of the phrase "Jupiter Icy Moons explorer".

The project manager of the "Arianespace" group, Veronique Loiselle, explained in a press conference that the probe, which weighs more than six tons and was designed by the "Airbus" company with its ten scientific tools, will be pushed to a height of 1,500 km before being transferred to orbit.

And then begins the journey of "Joss", which is expected to arrive in the year 2031 to its final destination, located about 628 million km from Earth. The probe's journey will be long and winding because it does not have enough energy to reach Jupiter via a direct path.

Joss will be able to continue his journey, taking advantage of gravity, relying on the use of the gravitational force of other planets, similar to the catapult technique. He will fly first over the Moon and Earth, then over Venus in 2025, then over Earth again in 2029, before heading towards the giant of the system. The solar system and its icy moons discovered by Galileo 400 years ago.

The temperature in which the probe will be present during its journey will vary, as it is 250 degrees above zero when it passes over Venus, compared to 230 degrees below zero around Jupiter, as explained by Carole Larigaudry, head of the "Joss" project at the French National Center for Space Studies, which necessitated It is equipped with a multi-layer insulating cover to ensure that its tools are kept at a constant temperature.

"Joss" will explore the Jupiter system, that is, the giant planet itself and its main moons, which are the volcanic Io and the three frozen satellites accompanying it, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto, noting that other probes have previously paved the way for this mission, including "Galileo" and "Juno".

JOS, with a total cost of 1.6 billion euros, is the first European mission to enter the outer solar system, which begins after Mars.

The launch of the probe comes in the midst of a space missile crisis afflicting Europe, as it almost no longer has the ability to conduct independent flights into space, given the withdrawal of the Russian “Soyuz” missiles from Kourou, the delay of “Ariane 6” and the failure of the first commercial “Vega” flight.