The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) probe, a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA), has successfully released its radar boom from a jammed state. The probe is set to explore Jupiter and its icy moons, including Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, in 2022.
The radar boom is a crucial component of the JUICE mission, as it will allow scientists to study the subsurface of Jupiter’s icy moons. The boom is equipped with a radar instrument that will send signals through the ice and measure the reflections to create images of the subsurface.
However, during testing on Earth, the boom became stuck in a partially deployed position. This was a major setback for the mission, as the boom needed to be fully extended in order to function properly.
After months of troubleshooting and testing, the JUICE team was able to successfully release the boom from its jammed state. The team used a combination of mechanical and thermal techniques to free the boom, including heating it up and using a small motor to apply pressure.
The successful release of the radar boom is a major milestone for the JUICE mission, which is set to launch in 2022. The probe will spend three years studying Jupiter and its icy moons, with a focus on understanding their geology, composition, and potential for habitability.
One of the key targets of the mission is Europa, which is believed to have a subsurface ocean that could potentially harbor life. The radar instrument on the JUICE probe will be able to penetrate through Europa’s icy crust and study the ocean below.
In addition to studying Europa, the JUICE mission will also explore Ganymede and Callisto, two other icy moons of Jupiter. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and is believed to have a subsurface ocean as well. Callisto is also thought to have a subsurface ocean, although it is not as well studied as Europa and Ganymede.
Overall, the JUICE mission is an exciting opportunity to study some of the most intriguing objects in our solar system. The successful release of the radar boom is a major step forward for the mission, and scientists are eagerly anticipating the data that will be collected during the three-year exploration of Jupiter and its icy moons.
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- Source: https://zephyrnet.com/jammed-radar-boom-on-jupiter-bound-juice-probe-finally-freed/