Tomorrow, the European Space Agency will launch its space probe, “Joss”, on a journey to Jupiter that will last for eight years, in an effort to find out if there are environments conducive to life on the giant planet of the solar system and on its icy moons.
Then begins the journey of “Joss”, which is expected to arrive in 2031 to its final destination, located about 628 million km from Earth. The probe’s journey will be long and winding because it does not have enough energy to reach Jupiter via a direct path.
And “Joss” will be able to continue his journey, taking advantage of gravity, relying on the use of the force of attraction of other planets, similar to the technology of a catapult. It will fly first over the Moon and the Earth, then over Venus in 2025, then over the Earth again in 2029, before heading towards the giant solar system and its icy moons that Galileo discovered 400 years ago.
The temperature in which the probe will be present during its journey will vary, as it is 250 degrees above zero when it passes over Venus, compared to 230 degrees below zero around Jupiter, which required it to be equipped with a multi-layer insulating cover to ensure that its tools are kept at a constant temperature.