Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer has been launched
 

Unmanned ESA spaceprobe Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer was launched from Earth today, Friday. The launch occured from the French Guiana Space Centre near Kourou, French Guiana.

Upon arrival in July 2031, it will study Callisto, Europa and Ganymede.

I did not realize it would take 8 and a half years just to reach the Galilean moons; Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. It shows just how vast our own solar system is!

For economic reasons, the flight is slower than today's actually technology allows.

I feel so sorry for especially older and retired astronomers, who can't be sure if they're still alive when the spaceprobe arrives.

I read that it can take as quick as 13 months and as slow as 8 years depending on where Jupiter is in it's rotation around the sun. Even if it's at the furthest point getting the moons around Jupiter is on the slow side.

Also, why not Io? Has that particular moon already had an in-depth study?

8 years? Wow, that's a long trip. I hope we'll find something interesting there.

While Io was also discovered by Galileo Galilei, it is not icy.

The only reason I knew about this. Which is awesome. They actually requested it and Sega said yes.

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2023/04...-off-april-14/

https://i.postimg.cc/0QdtkdqC/B2460-...E9-D069-CE.jpg

Me over here trying to make JIME sound like Jimmy... JIM-E? "Safe trip, JIM-E!"

Click on thread, see video image... Juice. They called it Juice.

"Juice launch," like a freakin' straw out of a blown up Capri Sun juice pouch. :tlol:


Seriously though, that's cool. I hope it's surely gonna be getting photos. Seeing closer images of Ganymede esp would be neat. The last 3D model I was working on for a project that will sadly remain unfinished (due to a friend and head of the project dying Jan. of last year) involved some of those moons, etc. Mine I was in charge of making? A fictional base on Ganymede. That one tugs a heartstring a little.