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The Astronomy and Earth Sciences Research Center at HUN-REN is contributing to the European Space Agency’s JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission through its involvement in the PRIDE project. The team at HUN-REN is using terrestrial radio telescopes to track emitted radio signals from the spacecraft’s radio communication systems, thereby enhancing data utilization from space probes such as JUICE. The scientific publication Space Science Reviews recently conducted an in-depth analysis of the JUICE experiment.
JUICE is a significant exploration endeavor of the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at Jupiter. Launched in April 2023, this spacecraft is charting a course towards Jupiter to closely examine its dynamic surroundings and three major moons: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
After an eight-year journey that included four gravity-assist flybys of Earth and Venus, JUICE is expected to enter Jupiter’s orbit in the summer of 2031.
Once in orbit around the gas giant, the probe will conduct 35 close passes of the three frost-covered moons. In late 2034, as the spacecraft’s mission draws to a close, it will decelerate and enter an orbit around Ganymede. The spacecraft will conduct an intensive examination of the moon’s exterior, makeup, and magnetic field using an array of devices for distant observation, geological and electromagnetic analysis.
These devices include imaging hardware, spectral analyzers, and gadgets to inspect the surrounding magnetism, radiation, and particle conditions.
In addition to the ten integrated instrument suites aboard the spacecraft, JUICE’s scientific ventures include an experimental feature called PRIDE. This supplementary experiment enhances the mission’s scientific yield without requiring specialized equipment on board.
As JUICE sets off on its journey to Jupiter, teams worldwide involved in creating these scientific experiments are now revealing their work’s scientific and technical frameworks through comprehensive review articles. These articles have been compiled in the Space Science Reviews journal. One of the latest contributions comes from the PRIDE team.
The research collective includes personnel from the Miklós Konkoly Thege Astronomical Institute within the HUN-REN Astronomy and Earth Sciences Research Center. They will conduct a search and analysis of compact radio sources beyond our galaxy that fall along the trajectory of the JUICE spacecraft’s view. They will also be involved in devising strategies and executing future Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observational projects. These radio emissions from outside our galaxy can be used as markers to accurately determine the location of JUICE.
