JUICE spacecraft embarks on 8-year journey to explore Jupiter's icy moons.
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft will take eight years to reach Jupiter, arriving in July 2031. JUICE will make observations of Jupiter and three of its large ocean-bearing moons, characterizing the Jovian system in great detail. The travel time to Jupiter is dictated by whether a spacecraft will fly by the gas giant or insert into orbit for a relatively long-term mission. JUICE will employ a series of gravity assist maneuvers, starting one year after launch, taking moon and Earth gravity assists, both bodies at the same time to get the extra energy.