Set for launch from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, on April 13, 2023, the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission will aim to uncover the secrets of Jupiter’s three largest icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. JUICE’s suite of instruments will allow scientists to thoroughly explore and characterize the moons, each of which is thought to feature large bodies of liquid water beneath their surfaces — creating potentially habitable environments for life.
Following the completion of construction and testing at an Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, JUICE was shipped to the CSG in French Guiana, where it arrived on Feb. 9, 2023, and is currently being processed for its launch in April.
Many milestones and goals lie ahead for the JUICE teams — both before and after launch. NASASpaceflight conducted a one-on-one interview with Cyril Cavel, JUICE program manager at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France, for more information on the mission and how launch processing is progressing in French Guiana.