What question did this study set out to answer?

To summarize the design and performance of the JUICE spacecraft system for its mission to Jupiter.

April 3, 2026Open Access

The JUICE Spacecraft System Design

Key Points

To summarize the design and performance of the JUICE spacecraft system for its mission to Jupiter.
Overview of system and subsystem designs
Description of instrument accommodation
Outline of verification strategies
Details on launch and commissioning activities
Summary of spacecraft and payload performance characteristics
Successful launch of the JUICE spacecraft in April 2023
Mission to investigate Jupiter and its moons over four years
Final impact planned on Ganymede
Effective design strategies to accommodate various instruments

Abstract

In April 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched its largest interplanetary space probe to date: the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE). Scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031, JUICE will conduct a four-year investigation of the planet and its Galilean moons, concluding with an orbital phase and final impact on Ganymede. This paper summarizes the mission drivers and key system and subsystems design. Instrument accommodation, verification strategy, launch and commissioning activities, and the principal performance characteristics of the spacecraft and payload are also outlined.

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