The European Space Agency's Juice spacecraft has carried out a flyby of Earth, using the planet's gravity to adjust its speed and direction on the way to Jupiter, according to Inshorts. The maneuver forms part of the probe's long route to the gas giant and its icy moons.
Inshorts reports that the spacecraft will make a second Earth flyby in 2029. The agency has described the recent pass as a successful one that improved the craft's course toward Jupiter, according to the European Space Agency.
Juice was launched in 2023 on a mission to study Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, along with its icy moons, The Economic Times reported. Rather than traveling straight to its destination, the probe relies on planetary flybys to reshape its trajectory and pick up speed. Forbes noted that the spacecraft's return past Earth three years after launch is a deliberate part of that flight plan. Coverage from Moneycontrol.com put the altitude of the pass at 8,640 kilometers above Earth and said the encounter produced striking images.
Gravity assists of this kind allow a spacecraft to alter its path without carrying the extra fuel that a direct route would demand. The Earth encounter is one in a series of such maneuvers planned for the mission.
The next milestone to watch is the second Earth flyby set for 2029, which will further refine Juice's course before it continues on toward Jupiter.
