ESA's Juice mission set to explore Jupiter's icy moons.

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission, set to launch on 13 April, has undergone extensive materials testing to ensure it can withstand the harsh environment around Jupiter's moon Ganymede. The testing included exposing silver interconnects to atomic oxygen, which can erode susceptible materials, and low-temperature thermal cycling. The interconnects were found to be resistant to atomic oxygen erosion, allowing the spacecraft to maintain magnetic cleanliness, which is essential for optimal operation of the in-situ science instruments. Juice will spend three and a half years in the Jupiter system and will go into orbit around Ganymede in the final phase of its exploration.