ESA launches JUICE mission to probe Jupiter's moons: Key facts
When will JUICE send its first signal to Earth?
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The 6,200kg JUICE spacecraft is expected to separate from the Ariane 5 launcher 28 minutes after the lift-off.
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It will take 8 years for JUICE to reach Jupiter
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JUICE will take about eight years to reach Jupiter. It will rely on gravitational assists past Venus, Mars, and Earth to enter Jupiter's orbit in July 2031.
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NASA and JAXA have contributed with parts and instruments
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JUICE's suite of instruments is said to be the "most powerful remote sensing, geophysical and in situ payload complement ever flown to the outer solar system."
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What is the mission about?
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JUICE will explore five "key mysteries." One is if the Jupiter system hosts life, or if it did in the past.
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JUICE will closely study Ganymede
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The mission will study Ganymede—the largest moon in the solar system. It is also the only known moon to have its own magnetic field, meaning it could have Earth-like liquid iron core