On April 13, Ariane 5 will launch the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer  space probe for the European Space Agency .

Lift-off will take place from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.

Flight VA260 will launch Europe’s first mission to Jupiter. JUICE will spend at least three years making detailed observations of the planet’s icy moons, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. It will study the moons as potential habitats for life, addressing two key questions: what are the conditions for planet formation and the emergence of life, and how does the solar system work?

JUICE will enter orbit around the giant planet in 2031 after an eight-year cruise which includes gravitational assists from Earth and Venus.