Payload

 

The JUICE spacecraft will carry a powerful remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ payload complement.

The payload consists of 10 state-of-the-art instruments plus one experiment that uses the spacecraft telecommunication system with ground-based instruments. This payload is capable of addressing all of the mission's science goals, from in situ measurements of Jupiter's atmosphere and plasma environment, to remote observations of the surface and interior of the three icy moons, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.

A remote sensing package includes imaging (JANUS) and spectral-imaging capabilities from the ultraviolet to the sub-millimetre wavelengths (MAJIS, UVS, SWI). A geophysical package consists of a laser altimeter (GALA) and a radar sounder (RIME) for exploring the surface and subsurface of the moons, and a radio science experiment (3GM) to probe the atmospheres of Jupiter and its satellites and to perform measurements of the gravity fields. An in situ package comprises a powerful package to study the particle environment (PEP), a magnetometer (J-MAG) and a radio and plasma wave instrument (RPWI), including electric fields sensors and a Langmuir probe. An experiment (PRIDE) using ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry will provide precise determination of the spacecraft position and velocity.

JUICE's instruments. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

 

The table below lists the JUICE experiments, their primary science contribution and key characteristics.

JUICE Payload
JANUS - Camera system
An optical camera to study global, regional and local morphology and processes on the moons, and to perform mapping of the clouds on Jupiter. JANUS will have 13 filters, a 1.3 degree field of view, and spatial resolution up to 2.4 m on Ganymede and about 10 km at Jupiter.
Principal Investigator: P. Palumbo, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Italy
Co-Principal Investigator: T. Roatsch, DLR, Institut für Planetenforschung, Germany
Lead Funding Agency: ASI, Italy
 
MAJIS - Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer
A hyper-spectral imaging spectrometer for observing tropospheric cloud features and minor species on Jupiter and for the characterisation of ices and minerals on the surfaces of icy moons. MAJIS will cover the visible and infrared wavelengths from 0.4 to 5.7 microns, with spectral resolution of 3-7 nm. The spatial resolution will be up to 25 m on Ganymede and about 100 km on Jupiter.
Principal Investigator: F. Poulet, Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, France
Co-Principal Investigator: G. Piccioni, INAF/IAPS, Rome, Italy
Lead Funding Agency: CNES, France
 
UVS - UV imaging Spectrograph
A UV spectrometer to characterise the composition and dynamics of the exospheres of the icy moons, to study the Jovian aurorae, and to investigate the composition and structure of the upper atmosphere. The instrument will perform both nadir observations and solar and stellar occultation sounding. UVS will cover the wavelength range 55-210 nm with spectral resolution of <0.6 nm. Spatial resolution will reach 0.5 km at Ganymede and up to 250 km at Jupiter.
Principal Investigator: K. Retherford, Southwest Research Institute, USA
Lead Funding Agency: NASA, USA
 
SWI - Sub-millimeter Wave Instrument
A sub-millimeter wave instrument to investigate the temperature structure, composition and dynamics of Jupiter's stratosphere and troposphere, and the exospheres and surfaces of the icy moons. SWI is a heterodyne spectrometer using a 29 cm antenna and working in two spectral ranges 1080-1275 GHz and 530-601 GHz with spectral resolving power of ~107.
Principal Investigator: P. Hartogh, Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Germany
Lead Funding Agency: DLR, Germany
 
GALA - GAnymede Laser Altimeter
A laser altimeter for studying the tidal deformation of Ganymede and the morphology and topography of the surfaces of the icy moons. GALA will have a 40 m spot size and 0.1 m vertical resolution at 200 km.
Principal Investigator: H. Hussmann, DLR, Institut für Planetenforschung, Germany
Lead Funding Agency: DLR, Germany
 
RIME - Radar for Icy Moons Exploration
An ice penetrating radar to study the subsurface structure of the icy moons down to 9 km depth with vertical resolution of up to 50 m in ice. RIME will work at a central frequency of 9 MHz (1 and 3 MHz bandwidth) and will use a 16 m antenna.
Principal Investigator: L. Bruzzone, Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy
Co-Principal Investigator: J.J. Plaut, JPL, USA
Lead Funding Agency: ASI, Italy
 
J-MAG - A magnetometer for JUICE
A magnetometer to characterise the Jovian magnetic field, its interaction with the internal magnetic field of Ganymede, and to study subsurface oceans of the icy moons. The instrument will use fluxgates (inbound and outbound) sensors mounted on a boom.
Principal Investigator: M. Dougherty, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Lead Funding Agency: UKSA, United Kingdom
 
PEP - Particle Environment Package
A plasma package with sensors to characterise the plasma environment in the Jovian system. PEP will measure density and fluxes of positive and negative ions, electrons, exospheric neutral gas, thermal plasma and energetic neutral atoms in the energy range from <0.001 eV to >1 MeV with full angular coverage. The composition of the moons' exospheres will be measured with a resolving power of more than 1000.
Principal Investigator: S. Barabash, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Institutet för rymdfysik, IRF), Kiruna, Sweden
Co-Principal Investigator: P. Wurz, Universität Bern, Switzerland
US Co-lead: P. C. Brandt, JHU-APL, USA
Lead Funding Agency: SNSB, Sweden
 
RPWI - Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation
A radio plasma wave instrument to characterise the radio emission and plasma environment of Jupiter and its icy moons. RPWI will be based on four experiments, GANDALF, MIME, FRODO, and JENRAGE. It will use a set of sensors, including two Langmuir probes to measure DC electric field vectors up to a frequency of 1.6 MHz and to characterize thermal plasma and medium- and high-frequency receivers, and antennas to measure electric and magnetic fields in radio emission in the frequency range 80 kHz- 45 MHz.
Principal Investigator: J.-E. Wahlund, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Institutet för rymdfysik, IRF), Uppsala, Sweden
Co-Principal Investigators: B. Cecconi, LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, France
  H. Rothkaehl, Space Research Centre of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, Poland
  I. Müller-Wodarg, Imperial College, UK
  Y. Kasaba, Tohoku University, Japan
  O. Santolik, Institute of Atmospheric Physic, Czech Republic
Lead Funding Agency: SNSB, Sweden
 
3GM - Gravity & Geophysics of Jupiter and Galilean Moons
A radio science package comprising a Ka transponder and an ultrastable oscillator. 3GM will be used to study the gravity field - up to degree 10 - at Ganymede and the extent of internal oceans on the icy moons, and to investigate the structure of the neutral atmospheres and ionospheres of Jupiter (0.1 - 800 mbar) and its moons.
Principal Investigator: L. Iess, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Italy
Co-Principal Investigators: Y. Kaspi, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  D. J. Stevenson, California Institute of Technology, USA
Lead Funding Agency: ASI, Italy; ISA, Israel Space Agency
 
PRIDE - Planetary Radio Interferometer & Doppler Experiment
PRIDE will use the standard telecommunication system of the JUICE spacecraft and VLBI - Very Long Baseline Interferometry - to perform precise measurements of the spacecraft position and velocity to investigate the gravity fields of Jupiter and the icy moons.
Principal Investigator: G. Cimo, Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, The Netherlands
Lead Funding Agency: NWO and NSO, The Netherlands

 

JUICE spacecraft and payload activities

This page provides a quick status reports on the spacecraft and payload activities.

 

launch

JUICE was lifted into space by Ariane5 (flight VA260) at 12:14:29 UTC on the 14th of April 2023. After a nominal ascent of 28 minutes, the spacecraft was separated from the launcher at 12:42:17 UTC.

 

Deployment status

14 April: Solar panels
15 April: Medium Gain Antenna
21 April: Magnetometer boom
12 May: Radar antenna (both sides)
22 May: Langmuir probe #4 (RPWI instrument)
23 May: Radio waves antennas from the RPWI instrument, located on the magnetometer boom
24 May: Langmuir probe #2 (RPWI instrument)
25 May: Langmuir probe #3 (RPWI instrument)
26 May: Langmuir probe #1 (RPWI instrument)

 

Commissioning status

 

Instruments  NECP
(Open / On-going / Completed)		 NECP
Start date		 NECP
End date
MAJIS Completed 02/06/2023 02/06/2023
SWI Completed 25/04/2023 11/07/2023
GALA Completed 15/05/2023 15/05/2023
RPWI Completed 19/04/2023 30/05/2023
SCM Completed 19/04/2023 21/04/2023
LP Completed 22/05/2023 26/05/2023
RWI Completed 30/05/2023 30/05/2023
RIME Completed 16/04/2023 04/07/2023
3GM-HAA Completed 16/04/2023 01/06/32023
3GM-KaT Completed 22/05/2023 22/05/2023
3GM-USO Completed 24/05/2023 24/05/2023
JMAG Completed 21/04/2023 11/05/2023
MAGBoom Completed 21/04/2023 21/04/2023
JACS Completed 21/04/2023 21/04/2023
JANUS Completed 15/05/2023 17/05/2023
UVS Completed 15/06/2023 22/06/2023
PEP-Lo Completed 30/05/2023 03/07/2023
JDC Completed 30/05/2023 30/06/2023
JEI Completed 30/05/2023 27/06/2023
JNA Completed 30/05/2023 29/06/2023
NIM Completed 31/05/2023 02/06/2023
PEP-Hi Completed 24/05/2023 16/06/2023
JENI Completed 05/06/2023 14/06/2023
JOEE Completed 05/06/2023 05/06/2023
RADEM Completed 16/04/2023 25/04/2023
 

 

next activities

  • Start of the cruise phase
  • Deep space maneuvre in November 2023
  • First payload checkout in January 2024

SPACECRAFT

 

The JUICE spacecraft is a 3-axis stabilized platform that will accommodate 10 instruments. The power subsystem consists in  a solar array with two wings of five panels each for a total surface of 85 m2 providing ~820 W at Jupiter (end of life conditions), and a Li-ion battery.

A 2.5 m diameter High Gain Antenna, using X- and Ka- bands, will ensure telemetry/telecommand links for routine operations, safe-mode, and radio science related investigations. At least, 1.4 Gbits of scientific data will be downloaded every day.

The propulsion system is a bi-propellant main engine plus a set of 10 thrusters. The two main mission manoeuvres are the Jupiter and Ganymede orbit insertions. Two vaults will provide to some electronics a shielding against the harsh Jupiter radiation environment, as well as adequate thermal conditions.

The spacecraft includes deployable appendices such as a 10.6 m boom supporting JMAG and RPWI sensors, a 16 m radar antenna, and a steerable medium gain antenna used for communication and radio-science investigations.

 

Juice

 

Instrument Reference Papers

 

In the following table the instrument reference papers have been listed.

 

Title Type Author Year Link
The Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) for the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) Scientific paper J.-E. Wahlund 2024

Link
The JANUS (Jovis Amorum ac Natorum Undique Scrutator) VIS-NIR Multi-Band Imager for the JUICE Mission Scientific paper P. Palumbo 2025

Link
The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE): Mission, science, and instrumentation of its receiver modules Scientific paper K. Enya 2022

Link
Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) of the JUICE Mission Scientific paper L. I. Gurvits 2023

Link
Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS) on Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) Scientific paper F. Poulet 2024

Link