JUICE – ESA’a Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

JUpiter ICy moons Explorer is the first large-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme. Planned for launch in 2023, it will spend at least three years making detailed observations of the giant gaseous planet Jupiter and three of its largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto and perhaps the most intriguing of the three, Europa (above left). After a ten-minute introductory slideshow we shall discuss the purpose and value of missions such as this.