The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Juice will make two flybys of distinctly grooved Europa in the early 2030s, approaching as close as 400 km. During these close encounters, Juice will characterise the composition and chemistry of Europa’s surface, hunting for substances that are essential to support life (‘biosignatures’). Scientists have found strong evidence that Europa has an ocean of liquid water under its icy shell, and the moon may vent water vapour to space via ‘plumes’ and geysers. Juice will search for pockets of water in the moon’s shallow subsurface using unprecedented ice-penetrating radar, and reveal locations where the transfer of material between subsurface, surface and space may be especially intense.