JUICE Spacecraft Set for Critical Earth Gravity Assist
The European Space Agency's JUICE mission, launched in 2023, will perform a gravity-assist flyby of Earth on September 28, 2026, at 11:45 UTC. This is the third of four planned slingshots to redirect the spacecraft toward Jupiter, where it will arrive in 2031 to study the icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Closest approach will occur over the Indian Ocean, with the spacecraft passing near Australia shortly before.
JUICE lifted off from French Guiana on April 14, 2023, after a one-day weather delay caused by lightning. It has already completed a Venus flyby in August 2025. Shortly after launch, the spacecraft's primary antenna jammed, though the article notes a three-week period of work to address the issue.
The upcoming Earth flyby on September 28 occurs at 11:45 UTC, with closest approach over the Indian Ocean and a pass over Australia shortly before. This is the third of four gravity assists; the fourth is scheduled for 2029, after which JUICE will make a two-year hop to Jupiter, arriving in July 2031. There, it will perform 35 flybys of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto before entering orbit around Ganymede.
This gravity assist is a critical navigation milestone. Its success could secure the mission's 2031 arrival at Jupiter, enabling years of study of Europa and Ganymede's subsurface oceans. Such findings may reshape our understanding of habitable environments beyond Earth, potentially influencing future exploration funding and priorities. The flyby also demonstrates complex interplanetary maneuvering, which could inspire public interest in space science and international collaboration. Conversely, any failure would delay or end the mission, impacting scientific timelines and the investment of multiple nations.