European Spacecraft on Way to Jupiter

European spacecraft on way to Jupiter and its icy moons An Ariane rocket carrying the robotic explorer, Juice, takes off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on April 14, 2023. Photo: ESA, via AP Photo: ESA, via AP Juice — short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer — is a spacecraft, which is a machine specially designed and built to work in harsh environments like outer space. Juice is about the size of a small bus. On April 14, 2023, the European spacecraft rocketed away on a 10-year-long quest. It will explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could hold buried oceans. The three moons are Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. It will take Juice eight years to reach Jupiter and its moons. The three ice-covered moons are believed to have underground oceans, where sea life could exist. Then, Juice will attempt to orbit, or travel around, Ganymede. No spacecraft has ever orbited a moon other than our own. At last count, Jupiter had 95 moons. With so many moons, many scientists consider this mission long overdue. "This is a mission that is answering questions of science that are burning to all of us," said Josef Aschbacher, who is the European Space Agency's director general. "Of course, one of these questions is: Is there life out there?" Taking The Long Way The spacecraft is taking a long, roundabout route to Jupiter. It will swoop near Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. It will complete 35 flybys while circling Jupiter. Then, it will hit the brakes to orbit Ganymede, the primary target of the mission. Ganymede is the solar system's largest moon — it is bigger than Mercury. (Our solar system consists of the sun, planets and other objects held together by gravity.) Even more enticing, Ganymede is thought to have an underground ocean holding more water than Earth. The same may be true for Europa and Callisto. "The ocean worlds in our solar system are the most likely to have possible life, so these large moons of Jupiter are prime candidates to search," said Scott Sheppard, who works at the Carnegie Institution. He is also a moon hunter who has helped discover well over 100 in the outer solar system. But the spacecraft will not reach Jupiter until 2031. "These things take time — and they change our world," said the Planetary Society's chief executive, Bill Nye. The California-based space advocacy group organized a virtual watch party for the launch. Protecting The Tech Europa is especially attractive to scientists hunting for signs of life beyond Earth. Juice will keep its Europa encounters to a minimum because of the intense radiation there so close to Jupiter. (Radiation is a form of energy that is emitted in the form of rays, electromagnetic waves and/or particles.) Juice's sensitive electronics are covered in lead to protect against radiation. The spacecraft, which is about as heavy as an elephant, is wrapped with thermal blankets to keep it warm. Temperatures near Jupiter hover around minus 380 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 230 degrees Celsius). Juice's solar panels are about as long as two and a half telephone poles. They soak in as much sunlight as they can that far from the sun. NASA Sending Explorer, Too Late next year, the U.S. space agency NASA will send an even more heavily shielded spacecraft to Jupiter. This is the Europa Clipper, which will beat Juice to Jupiter by more than a year. This is because it will launch on SpaceX's mightier rocket. The two spacecraft will team up to study Europa. Europe provided nine of Juice's science instruments, with NASA supplying just one. If Juice confirms underground oceans had or have life, the next step will be to send drills to cut through the icy crusts and maybe even a submarine. "We have to be creative," project scientist Olivier Witasse said. "We can still think it's science fiction, but sometimes the science fiction can join the reality." Write Prompt What is one claim that is made in the text? Is this claim well supported? Use specific evide nce from the text to support your response. Quiz 1 Read the list of sentences from the article. 1. Even more enticing, Ganymede is thought to have an underground ocean holding more water than Earth. 2. “The ocean worlds in our solar system are the most likely to have possible life, so these large moons of Jupiter are prime candidates to search,” said Scott Sheppard, who works at the Carnegie Institution. 3. Juice will keep its Europa encounters to a minimum. 4. If Juice confirms underground oceans had or have life, the next step will be to send drills to cut through the icy crusts and maybe even a submarine. Which two sentences taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that there could be future missions to Jupiter? 2 (A) 1 and 3 (B) 1 and 4 (C) 2 and 3 (D) 2 and 4 Which sentence from the section “Protecting The Tech” helps prove the claim that Juice’s electronics are at risk in Jupiter’s harsh atmosphere? This is because of the intense radiation there so close to Jupiter. Which sentence from the section provides further support for the claim? 3 4 (A) Juice will keep its Europa encounters to a minimum. (B) Radiation is a form of energy that is emitted in the form of rays, electromagnetic waves and/or particles. (C) Temperatures near Jupiter hover around minus 380 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 230 degrees Celsius). (D) Juice’s solar panels are about as long as two and a half telephone poles. Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-4]. How does the introduction develop the main idea? (A) It defines the route Juice will take to get to Jupiter. (B) It summarizes the purpose of Juice’s mission to Jupiter. (C) It provides different perspectives on the nature of Jupiter. (D) It explains why Juice’s mission will require 10 years. How are the sections organized to help develop understanding? (A) by providing a chronological overview of Juice’s mission (B) by comparing Juice’s mission to earlier NASA missions (C) by explaining Juice’s purpose and noting design features (D) by introducing questions about Jupiter and providing answers