The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the postponement of the Juice mission, which is destined for the gaseous planet of Jupiter. The launch forecast was for 9:15 am this Thursday (13), but it was postponed to this Friday (14), at 9:14 am, Brasilia time.
“Today’s flight #VA260 has been postponed due to weather conditions (risk of lightning) at the scheduled takeoff time from the European spaceport in French Guiana,” the ESA said via its Twitter profile. Also according to the post, the vehicle and its equipment are “in stable and safe condition”.
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft will launch from the Kourou space launch base in French Guiana. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube by the European Space Agency.
According to the ESA, about 28 minutes after launch, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer will separate from the Ariane 5 rocket, which will be attached to the spacecraft.
Between 99 minutes and 17 days in orbit, the solar panels, antennas and probes will be installed, leaving the spacecraft ready to continue its eight-year journey to Jupiter.
Exploration
According to the European Space Agency, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer will make “detailed observations of Jupiter and its three large oceanic moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa”.
The spacecraft will be equipped with a suite of remote sensors, geophysics and instruments, which will characterize these moons and discover more about these destinations as potential habitats for future life or verify the possibility of the existence of past life.
During the mission, ESA will monitor Jupiter’s magnetic environment, radiation and plasma in depth, as well as assess the planet’s interaction with its moons.
Source: CNN Brasil
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