ESA’s Juice spacecraft completes Earth gravity assist flyby

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, known as Juice, successfully completed a gravity assist flyby of Earth on 28 September 2026. The maneuver increased the spacecraft’s velocity by 3.5 km/s and deflected its trajectory by 20 degrees. During the flyby, which passed 8,640 km above the Indian Ocean, the spacecraft’s onboard monitoring cameras captured images of Earth, including views of the African landmass.

Juice is a major international mission involving 18 research institutes and 83 companies across 23 countries, with hardware contributions from NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The mission aims to investigate whether Jupiter’s icy moons—Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto—possess the ingredients necessary to sustain life, such as liquid water and energy sources.

Launched in April 2023, the spacecraft is expected to reach the Jupiter system in 2031. Upon arrival, it is slated to become the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than Earth’s own Moon.