Science & Space
Juice Gains 3.5 km/s During Earth Flyby to Reach Jupiter
ESA’s Juice spacecraft used a September 2026 Earth flyby to gain speed and alter its route toward Jupiter.
What happened
On 28 September 2026, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer completed an Earth gravity-assist flyby. Passing 8,640 km above the Indian Ocean, Juice increased its velocity by 3.5 km/s and deflected its trajectory by 20°. Its monitoring cameras also captured colour images of Earth, Africa and the Moon before the spacecraft departed on 29 September.
Why it matters
The manoeuvre provided Juice with a confirmed speed increase and trajectory change during its journey to Jupiter, while producing additional Earth imagery.
Source: ESA