Canadian Scientists Offered Opportunity to Participate with European Mission to Jupiter

The European Space Agency (ESA) has offered international scientists – including Canadians – the opportunity to propose scientific payloads for the JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission. The deadline for submission is October 15, 2012.

JUICE was selected in May 2012, by the ESA’s Science Programme Committee with a foreseen launch date in 2022. The JUICE spacecraft will provide a thorough investigation of the Jupiter system with emphasis on the three ocean-bearing Galilean satellites – Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. JUICE has been tailored to observe all the main components of the Jupiter system.
The JUICE spacecraft constitutes the European element of a coordinated program to Jupiter and its icy moons, which may include a Russian Ganymede lander, to be operated by Russia in coordination with JUICE. The joint program would allow a complete characterization of Ganymede, above and beyond what could be achieved with either element alone.
Canada is an associate-member of the ESA, so Canadian scientists can propose, participate and be funded by ESA.
The Canadian Space Agency anticipates the future development of a funding program for scientists from Canadian universities who are approved as co-Investigators on international missions for which JUICE would be eligible.