ESA JUICE to Launch April 13 on 8-Year, Multi-World Flyby Journey to Jupiter System

European Space Agency Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) is to launch via Ariane 5 from ELA-3, Guiana Space Center April 13 at 12:15:01 UT, with launch window remaining open until April 30. Since being selected by ESA Cosmic Vision science program in 2012, the 2,405-kg (dry) spacecraft built by Airbus is now fit with 11 science instruments (from Europe, Japan, USA) and prepared for an 8-year cruise followed by 3.5 years of science in the Jupiter system containing 95 known moons at an estimated cost of US$1.64B. It is planned to fly by our Moon / Earth August 2024, followed by Venus (2025), Earth (2026), Earth (2029) before Jupiter orbit insertion July 2031 and Ganymede orbit (Dec 2034) where it will impact at the end of 2035. As JUICE will pass through the Main Asteroid belt twice, an October 15, 2029 flyby of asteroid 223 Rosa is proposed. Using cameras, spectrometers, radio-science experiments and sensors, JUICE will make detailed observations of giant Jupiter, its atmosphere, magnetic field, rings, subsurface oceans of 3 Galileo moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – and observe volcanic Io. The 12 flybys and orbit of Ganymede and 21 flybys of Callisto hope to reveal ocean layers, surface mapping, properties of icy crusts, as well as investigate Ganymede atmosphere and magnetic field. The 2 flybys of Europa will search for organic molecules, determine composition and thickness of icy crust / surface features. (Pictured: JUICE PI Michele Dougherty; Image Credits: ESA, NASA, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters)

MONDAY

☆ Apr 10 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 69 crew members Frank Rubio and Sultan Alneyadi loading Cargo Dragon CRS-27 with research materials ahead Earth return mid-April; ongoing microgravity research continues as well as EVA preparations in Orlan spacesuits.

☆ Apr 10 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-15 three-member crew continue space research, including testing a free-piston Stirling thermoelectric converter, while preparing for May departure.

☾ = Moon activity

★ = Space and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).

A Space Trifecta: Cosmonautics Day, STS-1 Columbia and Yuri’s Night Commemorated on April 12

April 12 is celebrated around the world for different reasons: In Russia, it is Cosmonautics Day, which honors the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin. In the United States, it is the day that the first Space Shuttle mission (STS-1 Columbia) launched. For space enthusiasts around the world, it is Yuri’s Night, a celebration of all things space. Gagarin made history on April 12, 1961, when he became the first person to leave Earth. He orbited Earth (181 x 327 km) once in his Vostok 1 spacecraft in a flight lasting 108 minutes. USA followed the Soviet Union into space with Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, and 20 years later, on April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its first mission. The Space Shuttle program would go on to launch 135 missions, carrying astronauts to the International Space Station 37 times, to the Hubble Space Telescope, and other LEO destinations. Yuri’s Night, ‘The World Space Party‘, is a celebration these achievements in space exploration. This year Yuri’s Night: LA will be held beneath Space Shuttle Endeavor at The California Science Center, featuring professional astronaut (L-R) Jessica Watkins and private astronaut Sian Proctor. Yuri’s Night: Space Coast will be held April 15 at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, within view of Space Shuttle Atlantis, and will include Overview Effect author Frank White and astronaut Winston Scott. (Image Credits: Yuri’s Night, NASA, SpaceX)

● Apr 10 — Pōwehi Day, Statewide Hawai’i: Recognized proclamation to celebrate the first-ever imaged black hole M87* by Event Horizon Telescope collaboration involving Mauna Kea Observatories, given the Hawaiian name Pōwehi; imaged in April 2017 and released Apr 10, 2019.

☆ Apr 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 FG5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.023 AU)

☆ Apr 10 — Apollo Asteroid 2023 FT1: Near-Earth Flyby (0.049 AU)

Continued From…

● Oct 15 – Jun 15, 2023 — International Space Elevator Consortium, Online: Space Elevator Academic Challenge: Improving Humanity’s Future; for students 17-25.

☾ Dec 11 – Apr 25, 2023 — Hakuto-R / ispace Mission 1, Lunar Landing Trajectory: Carrying UAE Rashid 10-kg rover, 0.25-kg JAXA SORA-Q rover, Hakuto-R performing orbital control maneuvers to reach Lunar Orbital Insertion, followed by Moon touchdown nominally ~4.5 months after launch.

● Jan 18 – May 11 — Wichita State University, Wichita KS and Online: 2023 Interstellar Seminar ‘LASI 150G’; 1-credit hour seminar begins today; every Wednesday 14:30-15:20, led by Prof. Mark Schneegurt.

o Feb 24 – May 24 — National Museum of China, Beijing, China: Exhibit Featuring China’s Human, Lunar and Space Program.

☆ NET Apr — Gilmour Space, Launch Eris, Bowen Orbital Spaceport, Queensland, Australia: Inaugural flight of 23-m / 30,000-kg solid fueled rocket, first Australia domestic orbital launch.

TUESDAY

☆ Apr 11 — ISS, Inflight Event with Expedition 69, ~415-km LEO: Crew member Woody Hoburg to join Finding Mastery podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais, 11:00 EDT, live coverage available.

● Apr 11-12 — Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), Hybrid / Washington DC and Online: MEPAG Hybrid Meeting #40.

● Apr 11-13 — AIAA, Laurel MD: 2023 AIAA Defense and Security Forum (AIAA DEFENSE Forum).

☆ Apr 11 — Venus: 2.52° SE of Pleiades, 04:00.

☆ Apr 11 — Jupiter: At conjunction with Sun; 5.955 AU from Earth, 12:00.

☆ Apr 11 — Amor Asteroid 2023 FE5: Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU)