Jupiter-Bound Juice Spacecraft to Fly by Earth for Gravity Assist
The European spacecraft needs a boost from Earth's gravity to reach the outer solar system, and will capture images during the flyby.
The Juice spacecraft, on its way to Jupiter, is set to fly by Earth on Monday to receive a gravity assist needed to reach the outer solar system, according to Scientific American.
The report notes that the spacecraft will be taking pictures during the flyby as it passes by Earth.
Gravity assists of this kind are a common technique in deep-space missions, using a planet's gravitational pull to increase a spacecraft's speed and adjust its trajectory without expending additional fuel.
Specific details on the exact timing of the flyby, the images expected to be captured, or the spacecraft's subsequent trajectory were not included in the available excerpt.
The Juice mission is designed to study Jupiter and its icy moons as part of a broader effort to understand the outer solar system.
Further detail on the mission's remaining timeline before reaching Jupiter was not available in the source material.
Sources
- Jupiter-bound spacecraft Juice to fly by Earth Monday — Scientific American
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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