Science is Fun Fridays!
On August 19-20, the European Space Agency will attempt the first Lunar-Earth Flyby, using double gravity assist.
The JUICE mission, or "Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer," is testing this maneuver to save propellant, which will be used later in the mission.
The move requires launching the spacecraft at a precise second so that it will find the Moon and the Earth in the right position.
Celestial travel is a game of give and take - the more you can coast by stealing speed from planets, the more fuel you'll have later.
Once the spacecraft reaches Jupiter, and after many flybys, it will enter the orbit of Ganymede. Having saved some fuel, it will be able to go about 120 miles above the surface to conduct more precise observations.
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