N° 3–2023: Updated media invitation: join pre-launch press programme to see Juice at launch site

Journalists will have a rare opportunity to see the spacecraft in the Payload Processing Facility  before it is launched on an Ariane 5 rocket in April 2023.  

Europe and its international partners are sending Juice to explore Jupiter and its three largest icy moons– Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of ten unique science instruments, one experiment and one radiation monitor.  

The mission will characterise these ocean-bearing moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats for life. It will also explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe.  

Juice will complete several Solar System firsts. It will be the first spacecraft ever to orbit a moon other than our own – Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede. And en route to Jupiter it is expected to perform the first ever lunar-Earth gravity assist to save propellant.  

Juice will also be the last ESA mission to launch on an Ariane 5 from ESA’s Spaceport in Kourou, before Ariane 6 takes over.  

In light of this milestone, participating media will be given the unique opportunity to see next-generation space launcher, Ariane 6, on its launch pad as it undergoes a series of tests.  

Experts from ESA Science, Arianespace and others will be available on site for interviews during the pre-launch media visit.  

Programme 

*Please note that the programme can be modified at short notice because of operational constraints. 

Wednesday 8 March – Thursday 9 March 2023 

• Visit of Ariane 5 launch facilities; 
• Visit of Ariane 6 launch facilities; 
• Opportunity to see Juice in its stowed configuration  

ESA spokespeople and experts, as well as spokespeople from Arianespace and other partners, will be available on site for interviews including: 
Giuseppe Sarri ESA Juice Project Manager  
Daniel de Chambure ESA Ariane 5 project manager 

Registration 

Please express interest by 2 February at 23:59 CET for the pre-launch media visit in Kourou, French Guiana: 
https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form 

After registering, media will receive additional information to take part in media activities at Europe’s Spaceport. 

Please note: 

• all costs and expenses for this launch media trip will have to be borne by the participating media;  
• ESA will recommend flight dates and accommodation options to confirmed participants to facilitate the trip; 
• because the number of places is limited, ESA cannot guarantee all interested media will be able to join this visit;  
• accreditation formalities to access the Europe’s Spaceport will have to be completed after confirmation of participation;  
• yellow fever vaccination is compulsory to enter French Guiana (this will be checked at the airport).   

More Information 

The Juice mission kit is available here in English. It will be available in other European languages in February 2023. 
Learn more about Juice at esa.int/Juice 

Images 

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=juice&result_type=images 

ESA's Photo Library for Professionals: 
https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/ 

Terms and conditions for using ESA images: 
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images 

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int 

Videos 

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=Juice&result_type=videos 

ESA's Video Library for Professionals: 
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals 

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos: https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions 

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int  

Social Media 

@ESA_JUICE @esascience #ESAJuice 

Follow ESA on: 
Twitter: @ESA 
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency 
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency 
YouTube: ESA 
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA 
Pinterest: European Space Agency - ESA 

About the European Space Agency 

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space. 

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world 

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members. 

ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement. 

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions. 

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int 

For further information  

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Adelina Campos de Carvalho, Beatriz Arias 
Email: media@esa.int