ESA's JUICE Probe Encounters Antenna Issue on Journey to Jupiter
The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft, launched on April 14th, has hit a snag with its 16-meter radar antenna, which has only extended to roughly 1/3rd its total length. The going theory is that one of the release pins has gotten stuck somewhere, preventing the antenna from moving any further. Engineers are exploring options to shake the craft or move the antenna mount in and out of sunlight to free things up. Even if the antenna cannot be fixed, the mission will still provide a wealth of information about Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.