Juice meets Ariane 5

After its arrival in the final assembly building, on 1 April ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) was slowly lifted into the air then carefully lowered onto the top of the Ariane 5 rocket that will carry it into space. Here we see technicians working atop the rocket, bolting down Juice’s launch vehicle adapter to keep it secure during launch.

All around the spacecraft and rocket are movable platforms that enable the operators to work efficiently. The whole process was performed under strict safety and cleanliness regulations to keep Juice in prime condition for launch on 13 April. The technicians wore bright yellow suits; these are used whenever hazardous operations are carried out, for example when a spacecraft is moved.

Following these steps Juice was encapsulated inside Ariane 5’s fairing, where it will remain during the launch. This took place on 4 April. Shortly after launch, the fairing will open up and Juice will separate from the rocket.

Juice is being prepared to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. After an eight-year journey to Jupiter, the mission will make detailed observations of the gas giant and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of instruments. The mission will characterise these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats, explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth, and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe.